Updated | In the coming weeks and even months, residents of Houston and other parts of southern Texas hit hard by Hurricane Harvey will be faced with the public health disasters that can result from dirty floodwater and landslides. The natural disaster has ostensibly turned the city into a sprawling, pathogen-infested swamp.
Officials on Monday drained two flood control reservoirs had been drained to prevent subsequent infrastructure problems. On Tuesday, officials issued additional warnings that the reservoirs are now uncontrollably spilling over and the levees at Columbia Lakes are ruptured. Out of safety concern, many residents of the city aren't drinking the water. Chris Van Deusen, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, says the local health department has not issued any warnings about drinking water, and that "local officials report that drinking water in the city of Houston is safe, so there is no reason to avoid drinking the water in the city." However, several of the city's municipal utility districts issued boil water notices.
But many Houston residents fear they are without a potable water supply and are sticking with bottled water instead. There are already reports that Texas merchants are price-gouging bottled water, and in some instances a case of water is selling for as much as $99. On Monday, beer company Anheuser-Busch delivered 155,000 cans of emergency drinking water to communities in the Gulf Coast. If access to bottled water is restricted, health officials are recommending that Houston residents boil water to kill off any bacteria.
The state is also in the throes of mosquito season. Experts say that standing water is likely to cause an uptick in the city’s mosquito population, especially aedes aegypti and aedes aegypti albopictus, which are vectors for a number of serious viruses including Zika and yellow fever. (In July, Texas reported its first locally transmitted case of the Zika virus of the season in southern Hidalgo County, which is about five hours south of Houston.) Flooding makes mosquito control especially challenging since insecticides won’t be effective. Van Deusen says there is a less of a concern right now about these species of mosquitoes; aedes aegypti breed in small containers not large bodies of water. Tosh says that for most people the only protection they have from mosquito bites is long-sleeve shirts and pants, and bug repellent containing DEET.
With more than 20 hospitals in the state already evacuated or temporarily closed, it may be difficult to treat the population for diseases caused by water-related pathogens. Van Deusen says the health department is prepared to investigate any illnesses that occur, especially in shelters and other close living quarters where thousands of Houston residents are staying temporarily as they wait out the storm.
Updated: This story has been updated to include the latest information about reservoir safety, as well as local efforts to supply drinking water to hurricane victims.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that the flooding reservoirs are responsible for Houston's water supply, but they are actually flood control reservoirs.
An earlier version of this story stated the health department has issued an advisory about the safety of tap water. As of Thursday, the health department still says the water is safe to drink.
Updated: This story has been updated to note that several municipal utility districts in Houston issued boil water notices this week.
Updated: This story has been updated to clarify that aedes aegypti mosquitoes is a species of mosquitoes that breeds in small containers of water.