Boil water notice issued in Big Sandy after 18-wheeler crash reduces pressure

BIG SANDY, Texas (KLTV) - An East Texas city remains under ‘boil water’ notice, after an overnight accident involving and 18-wheeler.

Big Sandy Residents in Upshur county remain on the notice after the truck ran over a fire hydrant late last night.

What some Big Sandy residents thought was more rain last night, turned out to be something quite different.

“I heard water. I thought it was raining outside so I took a peek outside, and the next thing I know my whole yards flooded,” said resident Alexander Christianson.

A truck driver had plowed over a fire hydrant.

“The way it was hit, it literally depleted our water tanks in moments. We had a sudden drop in the water in our water tanks and so the boil water notice was issued immediately as required by TECQ,” said city administrator Laura Rex.

Big Sandy schools we closed, and businesses struggled had to make do without.

Witnesses say the driver was trying to negotiate a narrow roadway of Gilmer street coming up to Wildcat street. He tried to make a turn right where there was a fire hydrant.

The driver crushed the hydrant , breaking the line. But didn’t stop to report it.

“He stopped in the middle of the road for a second, he looked back. Then he just left.

A neighbor down the road, she’s the one that caught the name of the truck,” Alexander said.

The truck was later found in another county.

The city has to go through the lengthy process of testing and chlorinating before the boil water notice can be lifted.

“Working today to get some water tests done. Testing the water, making sure there are no contaminants, making sure the chlorination levels are where they need to be,” Rex says.

The boil water notice is expected to be lifted sometime Friday.

On the district’s Facebook page, officials state that school will resume Friday on a modified schedule.

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From the Big Sandy ISD Facebook page:

According to a Facebook post from Big Sandy ISD, a water line broke overnight causing the city to issue a boil water notice.

The district said in a post that they did not have enough bottled water to supply the students with adequate hydration throughout the day. Out of an abundance of caution the district has decided to remain closed today and resume classes on Friday.

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