Water Events

Water Quality Update as of Friday, November 18, 3:33 PM

FINAL UPDATE 11/18, 3:33 PM: The broken main has been fully restored to service. We know that this accident and the resulting water discoloration caused a lot of concern and frustration for many customers. Our priority is always the safety of your drinking water, and it took us some time to work through the process to fully restore the main after the incident. We appreciate our customers and their understanding through this event.

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11/18/2024, 10:12 AM: Our crews are in the processes of restoring the broken main to service. This process may temporarily discolor some customers’ water. It’s an expected part of the restoration process and not a cause for concern. If your water does become discolored, try running your tap for a while. If that doesn’t work, wait 15 minutes and try again. We appreciate your patience as we work to bring this main back online.

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11/15/2024, 1:41 PM: We received the results of our water quality samples and are pleased to say there were no concerns. We lifted the boil water notice for the two customers closest to the main break, and we are planning to fully restore the broken main on Monday. When we do this work on Monday, some customers may again experience discolored water for a period of time. We will let you know when we plan to do this work through our social media channels or at MyTPU.org/WaterEvents so you can be prepared.

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11/14/2024, 5:30 PM: Many fewer customers today reported discolored water concerns as a result of the main break earlier this week. Our crews are still working on full restoration, and we anticipate this work will continue over the weekend. We will provide another update tomorrow afternoon on the status of our restoration efforts. We appreciate your patience as we work as quickly and safely as possible to bring the water main back into full service. 

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11/14/2024, 10 AM: Restoration efforts to resolve discolored water concerns and bring the broken main back online continue today. We have crews monitoring water quality throughout the affected area and flushing the water mains as needed. For customers still having issues with discolored water, we have well water unaffected by the water main break available daily between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the well behind the former Southeast Mutual Water Company at 1614 E 99th St. In Tacoma. Customers need to provide their own containers. We will provide another update later this afternoon.   

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11/13/2024, 4:54 PM – Our crews continue to work on restoration from the main break on Monday. Because of the way our water system works, some customers north and west of the main break experienced discoloration in their water today. Overall, the number of impacted customers continues to decline. While we have no indications the water is unsafe to drink, we recommend if you feel concerned to refrain from drinking the water until the discoloration is gone. You can try running your tap to see if that helps.

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11/13/2024 11:30 AM Update: Our water crews are still working as quickly and safely as possible to resolve the discoloration concerns from the main break yesterday. We know this is causing inconvenience and concern for affected customers. If you are still experiencing discolored water, try running your tap to see if that resolves the issue. While there are no known safety issues with the discolored water, we recommend if you feel worried about drinking it or using it, please refrain until the issue is resolved. We will have another update around 4:30 pm today.

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11/12/2024 4 PM Update: A large water main break near the intersection of South Tacoma Way and South M Street has resulted in discolored water for a large portion of Tacoma. Our crews have repaired the main and water quality samples are being taken. We are also monitoring water quality throughout the affected area and flushing the water mains as needed.

We recommend customers run their tap on cold to see if water is running clear. If not, they should stop running the water and try again in an hour or two. Discoloration is not expected to have any water quality concerns.

Discoloration is improving in the impacted area. Crews will continue to monitor water quality and flush impacted water mains as necessary. It is expected this work will continue into this evening and tomorrow.

The remaining discoloration you may be experiencing is caused by sediment that has settled at the bottom of the water main and can be filtered out by most residential-use filters. There are currently no concerns with the safety of the water.

Businesses seeking information about impacts to their operations should contact Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department directly.

Planned Water Events

Water Main Flushing

As part of our regular maintenance, we flush the pipes in our water system. This forces high-velocity flows through the pipes and out through fire hydrants, which helps remove rust and sediment, ensuring you receive clean, reliable water. It also aids in the detection and repair of malfunctioning valves and hydrants before they cause issues.  

After a planned flushing event, if you experience discolored water or sediment, remove aerators from your faucets and run the cold water for three to five minutes. We also recommend that your first load of laundry after flushing be dark clothes. 

Click here to learn more about what to expect during flushing events.

Planned Outages

Planned water outages may occur when our crews need to conduct maintenance or repairs on water mains or when new construction is underway in an area. Before we restore water service after a planned outage, we fill and flush the area and test and treat the water to ensure your water continues to be clean and reliable.  

After a planned water outage, we recommend waiting a few hours before running your water. If you waited a few hours and the water still comes out discolored, run cold water in a bathtub with no aerators.  

Unplanned Water Events

Unplanned water events are often caused by disturbances in a water main. For example, if a water main breaks or a fire hydrant gets used in your area, it can stir up sediment that settles at the bottom of the main. While it may look unsafe, the sediment contains river silt particles, which are harmless.  
  
After an unplanned event, remove aerators from your faucets and run the cold water for three to five minutes. We also recommend your first load of laundry after flushing be dark clothes.  
  
If you experience a water quality issue, such as discolored water, low pressure, etc., avoid using water for one or two hours and call 253-502-8344 to report it.  

Emergency Water Events

Water emergencies are a public health concern that may require boiling or not using water. We will provide specific information and instructions on this page during a water emergency. 

Existing MyAccount Users

Login to MyAccount and enroll to receive water outage notifications by navigating to “Profile” and then “Notifications.” You will see a section labeled “Water Outage” and a drop-down menu that allows you to select to receive notifications via email and/or text message. 

Register for MyAccount

If you are not registered for MyAccount, it is simple to enroll and has many benefits such as online payments, paperless billing, and more. To enroll, you will need your TPU account number and the first and last name or business name associated with the account.