06/02/2026
‼️PROACTIVE UPGRADES HELPED PREVENT CITYWIDE NOTICE‼️
Laredo, TX – After a weekend marked by the partial boil water notice, Mayor Dr. Victor D. Treviño acted quickly and was the only City Council member to personally assist with water distribution efforts. The mayor helped distribute water at the Sames Auto Arena before traveling to the south-side distribution site, where he continued assisting residents and supporting efforts in areas represented by south Laredo council members.
Mayor Dr. Victor D. Treviño says recent investments in Laredo’s water system helped prevent last week’s precautionary boil water notice from becoming another citywide event.
During a press conference at City Hall following the lifting of the notice, city officials explained that the issue was traced to a single residential property where a backflow prevention device reportedly failed. According to the city, the problem was identified through routine monitoring and isolated before it could spread throughout the water system.
The mayor pointed to a proactive approach of approximately $119 million in water infrastructure improvements completed since the major citywide boil water notice in 2024. Those upgrades in Mayor Treviño’s tenure included improvements that allow portions of the system to be isolated, additional monitoring technology, pipeline replacements, and upgrades to treatment facilities.
City officials stated that while nearly half of the city fell under the precautionary notice, there was no evidence of widespread contamination throughout the water system. Utilities Director Dr. Tareq Al-Zobet said crews were able to contain the issue within hours, but laboratory testing required several days before state regulators could approve lifting the notice.
Treviño also emphasized that backflow prevention devices connected to irrigation systems, swimming pools, and other private water connections are the responsibility of property owners and are critical to protecting the public water supply.
The city distributed more than 20,000 cases of bottled water during the notice and worked with state and local partners throughout the response. Officials also signaled they will pursue stronger enforcement and public education efforts regarding backflow prevention requirements.
For many residents, the biggest takeaway from the press conference was how the investments prioritized by Mayor Dr. Victor D. Treviño following the 2024 water crisis appeared to play a significant role in limiting the scope of the latest incident.
State Rep. Richard Peña Raymond praised Mayor Dr. Victor D. Treviño’s focus on water infrastructure, saying Laredo is likely making its first major investment in the system in decades. Raymond credited current city leadership for prioritizing water improvements after the 2024 boil water notice while suggesting previous administrations failed to make similar investments. He pointed to the city’s $119 million in water upgrades as evidence of that commitment.
While work remains to address decades of aging infrastructure, officials said the response demonstrated the value of the city’s ongoing water investments and showed measurable progress from the challenges Laredo faced just a few years ago.
📸 : Exclusive Submitted
