Gatesville residents remain under a citywide boil-water notice after a contractor struck a 12-inch main on U.S. Highway 84 near Lovers Lane on Oct. 30, city officials reported. The break, which occurred at 2:10 p.m., reduced system pressure below the 20 psi threshold used by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to determine immediate public-health precautions. The City of Gatesville Public Works Department issued the boil notice at 3:45 p.m. that day and posted a map identifying affected zones and TCEQ-required boil instructions.

Two independent local outlets published matching accounts of the incident within minutes of one another: the Gatesville Messenger’s breaking-news post and the City of Gatesville’s official Facebook announcement. The Messenger followed with a fuller story at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 30 that included repair photos. The story had not appeared on Prism’s Coryell page as of Nov. 2, leaving the local reporting in fresh circulation through area sources.

Repair crews worked through the night to isolate the break and by 9 a.m. on Oct. 31 had restored pressure across the system after completing isolation efforts. Despite the pressure restoration, the boil-water notice remained active while bacteriological samples were analyzed. Water samples were sent to a laboratory on Nov. 1, with results expected the afternoon of Nov. 2. The city posted that it would provide an update by 3 p.m. on Nov. 2.

The interruption has immediate, practical impacts for roughly 11,000 residents. Families, school staff and athletes at Gatesville ISD campuses have been obliged to boil water for cooking and drinking, filling water bottles and meeting sports hydration needs under constrained conditions. Bus routes along the busy east-west artery of U.S. Highway 84 were snarled by repair activity and detours that rerouted traffic past the Coryell County courthouse, complicating school runs and commutes. Senior apartments and rural households that rely on city water for cooking have faced daily burdens of twice-daily boiling, and Coryell Memorial Healthcare increased bottled-water deliveries to dialysis patients to ensure continuity of care.

City leaders sought to answer community concerns directly. Public Works Director Robert Rose and Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Schoepf held a pop-up question-and-answer session outside City Hall on Oct. 31 to address complaints and outline next steps. Local budget watchers have flagged the financial implications of the response, estimating repair and overtime costs could top $40,000 and noting the need to determine whether the contractor’s insurance will cover those expenses.

As the city waits on laboratory clearance, residents continue to follow TCEQ guidance and the City of Gatesville’s online updates. The coming hours are likely to determine when the boil notice can be lifted and whether additional financial or operational follow-up will be required after service is fully cleared.