Why Was Schulenburg Hit So Hard by Rolling Blackouts?

The City of Schulenburg lifted its boil water notice on Saturday, Feb. 20.

City Administrator Tami Walker said the City had to get its water tested after the system lost pressure due to power failures during the winter storm last week. She said the City submitted samples to a lab in Brenham on Friday after the water system came back online. The lab results returned clear on Saturday.

She said the City infrastructure was back up and running as normal on Saturday.

Many in Schulenburg are questioning why the town was affected so much by the rolling blackouts last week while neighboring communities suffered few if any power outages. Walker said she is “very anxious” to hear from the City’s power supplier, the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).

“I haven’t heard from LCRA yet,” Walker said. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions. I hope the citizens will allow the City leaders to gather this information.”

She said the City may need to invest in backup generators to keep the water pumps running. At one point during the storm, both of the town’s wa ter towers drained empty because the pumps that fill them went down. If a fire broke out in town during that time, there may not have been enough water to put it out.

“I think we have learned a valuable lesson on the need for a standby generator,” Walker said.

City garbage service is also behind schedule due to the storm, Walker said. Crews could not haul garbage out of town for several days due to dangerous road conditions. She asked residents for patience and said crews will be busy this week getting caught back up.