Houston lifts boil water notice, confirms tap water is safe to drink

Houston has lifted its boil water notice, two days after a power outage affecting one of the city’s water purification plants raised concerns about contaminants potentially lingering in the main water supply. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality conducted water quality tests while the notice was still in effect, and confirmed that tap water meets regulatory standards, the city of Houston said in a news release.

“Houston Water has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes,” the city said.

Before returning to normal use, Houston Water customers should first “flush” their home water systems by running faucets on cold for at least one minute, and making and discarding several batches of ice from their automatic ice machines to trigger water treatment softeners through a regeneration cycle, according to the city.

All of Houston’s public schools will remain closed for a second day Tuesday, after which millions of residents were advised to boil their drinking water in the aftermath of a power outage at one of the city’s purification plants.

Houston officials issued a formal boil water notice on Sunday, when the outage caused water pressure at the East Water Purification Plant — which feeds into the city’s main water system, serving about 2.2 million customers — to drop below regulators’ required minimum of 20 PSI. Lower water pressure at the purification plant increases the risk of bacteria and other harmful microbes entering drinking water supplies.

Although Major Sylvester Turner said Monday that water was likely safe to use again, the city’s testing protocols mean its boil water notice will remain in effect until at least Tuesday.

The Houston Independent School District announced building closures shortly after the notice was issued on Sunday evening, and said on Twitter it would continue to monitor the situation. The district said Monday afternoon schools would remain closed Tuesday.

“This decision has been made due to the logistical challenges caused by the notice. Those challenges prevent the district from being able to provide meals for its students and ensure safe water is available for students and staff,” the district wrote on Twitter.

The city issued a news release on Sunday alerting residents to a pressure drop at the purification plant. It is recommended that everyone living in the affected area refrain from drinking tap water without first bringing it to a “vigorous rolling boil” and then allowing it to continue to boil for another two minutes. People should follow this protocol before using the water to brush their teeth, or to wash their hands and face, the city said, noting that people with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to harmful bacteria that could be present in the water supply.

“To ensure the destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and making ice should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes,” the boil water notice stated. “In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes.”

Late on Sunday night, Major Turner said that city officials believed the water was safe to use, but regulatory requirements mandated that a boil water notice remains in effect until the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has completed repeat testing on water samples, and confirmed they are not contaminated.

“We believe the water is safe but based on regulatory requirements when the pressure drops below 20 psi we are obligated to issue a boil water notice. The City is submitting its plan to TCEQ for approval tonight,” the mayor tweeted. “Water samples will follow afterward and hopefully we will get all clear from TCEQ. The City has to wait 24 hours from that point before the boil water notice is suspended. The earliest would be tomorrow night or very early Tuesday morning.”

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BTS’ Suga Pours Out Some Drinks in Preview of ‘Suchwita’ Talk Show Debut Episode Featuring RM

BTS’ Suga is not a light pour in the preview of the K-pop superstar’s new talk show, Suchwita. The first look at the series, which will debut next Monday (Dec. 5), finds Suga hanging with bandmate RM in a montage in which footage of the pop icon making his way to the couch is interspersed with glimpses of a turntable and a temple as he settles in with a glass and explains the definition of the show’s name.

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Suchwita… time to drink with Suga,” he announced as the first glasses of liquor were filled. The old friends cheer and wonder “how serious are these folks about it,” seems in reference to people who are interested in both drinking and telling stories. The two also speculated about who might appear on the series in the future, with Suga teasing, “Can it really get that far?”

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RM will drop his solo debut album, Indigoson Friday (Dec. 2), just days before Suchwita rolls out. The latest project from the on-hiatus BTS will feature RM collaborating with Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Kim Sawol, Mahalia, Colde, Tablo and parkjiyoon. The nine-track album’s lead single, “Wild Flower” (featuring youjeen) will coincide with Friday’s release.

Though Indigos will be RM’s first full-length solo album, the rapper previously released two mixtapes. He was the first of the BTS members to share solo material, dropping his self-titled mixtape in 2015, which contained the singles “Do You,” “Awakening” and “Joke.” RM then released a second mixtape in 2018 titled Mono. “Forever Rain” was released as the only single from the latter body of work; the set debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200.

Suga has also been keeping busy on the solo front, releasing “Our Island” from the BTS Island: In the SEOM soundtrack and, earlier this summer, teaming up with K-pop superstar Psy for the dance-y single “That That.”

Check out the first trailer for Suchwita below.

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What to Cook This Week

Good morning. I’m Emily Weinstein, the Food and Cooking editor here at The New York Times, and I’ll be your host today. Are you having an excellent long weekend? Have you had pancakes yet? Are you already diving headlong into cookie-making with Gantt charts and custom holiday baking playlists?

I’ve got a week’s worth of cooking recommendations for you, but let’s not move on from Sunday too quickly. I love the look of Ali Slagle’s new recipe for refried white beans with chile-fried eggs (above), the sunshine yellow of the yolk set on that creamy cloud of crushed beans. Refried beans are typically made with pinto or black varieties, and cooked in lard. But white beans are a delicious and effective departure from tradition, and you can swap in olive oil for the lard.

Now, let’s talk about the week ahead …

Kay Chun’s sesame salmon bowls are as delicious as they are clever. Inspired by the Japanese dish chirashi, the salmon steams directly on top of the vinegar-seasoned rice, and the finished bowls are adorned with shredded cabbage and sliced ​​cucumbers for a juicy crunch.

Pierre Franey’s chicken breasts with lemon are timeless, an easy and elegant way to put dinner on the table. Franey recommends serving the chicken with mashed potatoes, but I’d go for a fresh pot of rice.

This new recipe comes from the brilliant mind of Yewande Komolafe, who mixes flavors and textures with confidence and flair. Here she roasts tofu, chickpeas and cherry tomatoes in a za’atar-spiced marinade for a great weeknight dinner.

A simple way to make a table full of people happy is to set down a big, saucy, bubbling baking dish in front of them. Here’s one option for how that could look, courtesy of Lidey Heuck.

You’ve reached the end of the week, and I can’t think of anything that’d be better than Vallery Lomas’s tangy pimento mac and cheese, a power coupling of classic Southern dishes.

There are thousands more recipes for you to scroll through on New York Times Cooking, and videos and inspiration on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. You’ll need to subscribe to access our recipes. And don’t forget that you can give a New York Times Cooking subscription as a gift!

You can reach me at [email protected]; the tip lines are open, so tell me what you’re cooking, baking and drinking right now. I love to hear from you, and I read every note. You can also sign up to receive my newsletter, Five Weeknight Dishes, which offers recipe ideas for busy people who still want something good to eat. If you encounter technical issues with our website or apps, write to [email protected], and someone will get back to you.

Until next time. And if you haven’t seen our YouTube series “Mystery Menu,” starring the chefs (and couple) Sohla and Ham El-Waylly, it’s fantastic. Highly recommended!

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