TRINIDAD, Texas - A boil water notice is in effect in Trinidad, the second time in 2026 the city has been placed under a boil notice as it continues to deal with water clarity issues.
Trinidad boil water notice
What we know:
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has issued a boil water notice for residents of Trinidad who live north of Highway 274 and Old Oliver Road.
TCEQ says low water pressure and low chlorine residual are allowing harmful bacteria to get into the water supply.
Residents are asked to boil their water for two minutes before drinking it or cooking with it, or to buy bottled water in lieu of boiling water.
No end date for the boil water notice was given.
Trinidad water saga
The backstory:
This is the second boil water notice for Trinidad in 2026. A boil notice was in effect from April 21 to April 23, when Trinidad residents began sending FOX 4 pictures and videos of discolored water coming from the city's water supply.
In July, TCEQ released a report on Trinidad's water supply, pointing to the age of the city's water mains and chloramine contamination as reasons for the issues.
Trinidad business owners tell FOX 4 that water at their business tested positive for disinfectant contamination that exceeded federal maximums by more than 300%.
In June, a family in Trinidad alleged that after showering with the city's water, their teenage daughter suffered a chemical burn.
An attorney for the family provided a preliminary water test strip result that showed "dangerous" free chlorine levels in the Logan family's water. It remains unclear if Trinidad's recent water treatment led to the Logans' daughter's rash.
The water issues in Trinidad came to light in May, when citizen journalist Jennifer Combs was arrested for a Facebook post claiming that people had been hospitalized after drinking the city's water.
FOX 4 has not verified that anyone in Trinidad was hospitalized from drinking the city's water.
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trinidad employees resign after lawsuits, controversy embroil town
All three members of the Trinidad City Hall staff have resigned, with one of them resigning as she faces a myriad of lawsuits related to controversial arrests and firings. FOX 4's David Sentendrey has more on their resignations.
Big picture view:
Following Combs' arrest, other arrests, firings and lawsuits have put Trinidad Police and leadership into a national spotlight.
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement recently stripped Trinidad of the license to operate a police department, citing numerous violations. The Trinidad Police Department is expected to close on Friday.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and previous FOX 4 reporting.