Odessa, Texas, Without Drinking Water as Temperatures Soar

Odessa Fire Rescue Chief John Alvarez (L), and Central Station Captain Austin Yocham unload pallets of emergency drinking water as they help prepare to hand out cases of water for residents in need after a broken water main left the majority of Ector County without clean running water in Odessa, Texas on June 14, 2022. Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP

ODESSA, Texas—Crews worked to restore water service Wednesday to the West Texas city of Odessa, where residents have been without water this week amid scorching temperatures after an aging pipe broke.

The city’s water treatment plant was back online by about 8 a.m. Wednesday, and utility officials it could take 12 to 14 hours for the “recharging” process, during which workers slowly add water back into the system to ensure there are no more leaks.