Press Releases

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – As another strong cold front is forecast to hit Texas and the Rio Grande Valley the later part of this week and into the weekend, the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) prepares its crews for the immediate demands Winter Storm Landon will have while additional preparations have already been done at BPUB facilities since last winter.

Some of the preparations that BPUB crews are now conducting include:

• Assigning additional standby personnel
• Ensuring all vehicles and equipment are fueled and/or charged
• Deploying tree trimmers to areas with a history of issues
• Reviewing all emergency procedures

In addition, BPUB made improvements to its infrastructure since the previous winter storm to help better ensure its reliability for BPUB customers. Some of those improvements include:

• Replaced trace heat cables on outside lines at Silas Ray Power Plant
• Replaced insulation on pipes at water treatment plants and power plant
• Installed additional wind breaks at power plant
• Signed with a high-voltage electrical contractor to supplement BPUB crews during emergency events
• Installed electric generator at Annex Building, ensuring three sources of energy to keep Water Treatment Plant No. 2 and Energy Control in operations

While forecasts for BPUB’s service area don’t have temperatures dipping below freezing, BPUB encourages customers to take precautions. BPUB will keep customers updated through the BPUB website at www.brownsville-pub.com. Customers can also check the BPUB Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/brownsvillepub or follow BPUB on Twitter at BPUB_Tweets.

BPUB will keep customers up to date on any service interruptions or recommendations during this cold weather event. If customers have any questions, they can call 956-983-6121. To report an outage, customers should call 956-983-6300 or go to https://assist.brownsville-pub.com.