162 county water system shutdown
Half of Texas’ population damaged 13.1 million
Pollution concerns in some areas where water supply is possible
Inpatients are not properly treated
Electricity and food difficulties persist in the strongest cold wave
Oil production resumption movement
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Nearly half of the population in Texas, where the worst blackout occurred due to a record cold wave, is struggling with water shortages, the New York Times (NYT) reported on the 18th (local time). Particularly in some hospitals, even patients who are unable to receive proper treatment due to lack of water are one after another. There are also voices of concern that the magnitude of the damage may increase as it is not known when the cold wave will end.
According to NYT, a spokesman for the Texas Environmental Quality Commission said today that more than 800 regional water systems in 162 of Texas’ 254 counties were shut down, affecting 13.10 million people. Given that Texas had 29.4 million people as of last year, nearly half of the population is suffering from water shortages. Some areas where water supply is available are also facing difficulties due to the possibility of drinking water contamination. As a result, the authorities issued a warning to 7 million residents to boil water in preparation for possible contamination of drinking water. Residents, who have difficulty getting drinking water, are using it by melting snow. Smith Panda, who lives in Crestview, said, “If bottled water falls, you may have to melt the snow and use it for drinking water,” he said. “I keep the snow in a kettle and pot.”
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As Texas residents struggled with water shortages, patients admitted to hospitals faced even more dire situations, NYT said.
A patient admitted to a hospital in Austin, the capital of Texas, told NYT that he did not receive scheduled dialysis treatment due to lack of water. Austin Mayor Steve Adler said, “The situation in the city is very serious. Even a drop of water should not be used unnecessarily,” he said. “We need to save energy and water for the next two to three days.”
Residents are struggling, but the problem is that it is not known how long the cold wave will continue. “We are having trouble repairing our supply chain due to the low temperature,” said Corey Brown, an employee of the water company Tyler Water Utility. “At present, half of our customers are not receiving water.”
The power outage problem is still there. According to CNN broadcasts and others, the power outage damage in Texas at one time amounted to 4.5 million households, but gradually reduced to 550,000 households as the restoration progressed. However, since circular blackouts are being repeated rather than complete recovery, the suffering of the residents is not going away. The Electric Reliability Commission (ERCOT), which operates the Texas power grid, issued a statement that day, saying that although significant progress has been made in power restoration, a circular blackout is inevitable for the next two days as the cold wave continues. As a result, most of the residents left the house in the cold, turned on the car, warmed up and tried to sleep, and attempted heating with a barbecue grill, gas stove, and even a candle. The fence outside the house was torn off and used as firewood, or children’s wooden toys were used to light the fireplace. Some people cut trees themselves as firewood ran out. “We’re using toy wood blocks as firewood for our fireplace,” said Angel Garcia, who lives in Killeen in central Texas. “People in other regions don’t know the seriousness of the current situation. “Many people here are making fires by breaking the fence outside the house.”
To make matters worse, food shortages are also occurring. As grocery store freezers were shut down due to a power outage, food materials were spoiled everywhere and the distribution network of dairy products was cut off. As a hoarding phenomenon similar to that of the early days of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) emerged, testimonies from residents that the grocery store shelves were empty came up one after another. The Texas Department of Agriculture said the situation was unfolding beyond the collapse of food supplies during the Corona 19 crisis.
Meanwhile, a move to resume oil drilling in Texas, which had been halted by a cold wave, is appearing. According to Bloomberg News, Marathon Oil and Devon Energy have begun restoring power from local power grids and generators to resume oil production. However, it is not clear how long it will take to restore the supply of all necessary resources, such as lost equipment and power. Bloomberg reported that oil operators and management expect that most of the lost production can be restored within a few days if electricity, which had been interrupted by the cold wave, is supplied.
/ Reporter Park Seong-gyu [email protected]
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