Outages are inexcusable

Regarding “WATER WOES: Bursting pipes, boil notices add to city’s misery,” (A1, Feb. 18): With all the criticism of the PUC and ERCOT for the power outages, until today we hadn’t heard any reasons from the city of Houston for water outages except the bursting of frozen pipes. Having endured the 1989 freeze, I remember that the water supply was never an issue. Finally in today’s paper we hear the full truth: “The plummeting water pressure was the result of bursting pipes across the city and equipment failures at water distribution facilities due to frigid weather conditions, said Carol Haddock, director of Houston Public Works.” As an engineer wondering when I can stop capturing rainwater to use for flushing toilets, I ask why wasn’t critical equipment adequately winterized? Water is an absolute necessity, and these outages are inexcusable and obviously avoidable, as any city that experiences these conditions every year can attest.

James Wright, Houston