The Austin American-Statesman will continue to update this story as more information is made available.

Austin, a city known for its cutting edge technology, remained under a strict boil water notice Sunday after a water-quality issue arose Saturday at the city's largest water treatment plant.

People and pets should only drink water that has been boiled or clean bottled water, and commercial customers are included in the boil water notice. The city has activated five distribution sites with free, potable water pick-up for those most in need.

In a press conference Sunday afternoon, Austin Water director Greg Meszaros said that the city's target date for completing all five steps necessary for the order to be lifted is "the end of the day Tuesday."

More:'Human error' eyed in Austin's third citywide boil water notice in four years

The first two steps — getting the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant back online, and returning its operation to normal production levels — have been completed, Meszaros said.

The next steps involve testing water samples "across our entire system," he added. The results will be sent to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which can rescind the boil notice if the samples show no water-quality issues. 

The Austin Water website includes a link to a map showing which areas of the city are still under the boil-water notice and which have been deemed safe for normal use. As of Sunday afternoon, all of the city remained in the boil-water zone.

On Sunday, one popular and longtime Austin restaurant continued to operate with a semblance of normalcy.

It was business as usual Sunday morning at Kerbey Lane Cafe’s seven Austin locations — except for the multiple five-gallon pots of water each had bubbling on their kitchen stoves.

After enduring three boil water emergencies from Austin Water in under four years — the first in October 2018 during a flood-induced water crisis, the second amid the deadly winter freeze in February 2021 and now the alert issued Saturday night — Kerbey Lane management said it felt confident in the procedures it has in place for such conditions.

“The major thing missing from every table is a steaming cup of coffee,” said Garrett Lively, Kerbey Lane’s training and development manager. “Other than that, it’s a pretty normal scene” for the Sunday breakfast rush.

Lively and Phillip Bachus, the cafe chain’s vice president of operations, said the boiled water was being used mainly for food preparation and not for beverages that rely on water from the city system, such as coffee and soda.

The lack of coffee is a big deal — it’s Kerbey Lane’s biggest seller by volume and also contributes to the breakfast ambiance — but Bachus said all of the food items on the menu are still available.

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Some individual cafes were still able to serve tea and ice as well that had been prepared in advance, he said, although they risk running out eventually if the boil water mandate drags on.

“For us, the challenge is how long it lasts,” Bachus said. “More than likely I doubt this thing will go on more than a few days.”

This latest problem at a city water plant comes just as residents are thawing out from a deep freeze this week that created extraordinary stress and relived memories of the deadly electrical grid failure last year.

The Austin Independent School District sent an email to parents of AISD students recommending that students and staff bring "bottles of cooled, boiled water" to school on Monday. AISD also will deliver bottled water to school campuses.

"We’re looking to make sure students and staff are well hydrated and safe while the city is under a boil water notice," the email noted, adding that access to water fountains and bottle-refill stations will temporarily be removed.

School lunches Monday will feature "a modified menu that will use less water in the cooking process," according to the email.

Though the boil-water notice applies only to Austin, the Round Rock Independent School District posted an update to its website Sunday regarding two dozen RRISD campuses and facilities that are located within the city limits of Austin.

It included a similar request for students and staff to bring water bottles and a plan for lunch menus that "minimize the need for water." In addition, the statement noted, "Bottled water and water stations will be provided to all affected campuses."

Bottled water has been a hot commodity since Saturday evening at local grocery stores, which are increasing efforts to re-stock their supplies. H-E-B spokesperson Tamra Jones said the grocery chain has placed temporary limits on water purchases, with signage on shelves explaining the situation to customers.

We visited the H-E-B store at 8801 S. Congress Ave. on Sunday afternoon and found it well-stocked, even as many shoppers loaded up their carts with the maximum-allowed purchase of four bottled-water multipacks (or four gallon-sized containers).

"We have good inventory position on water in our warehouses and are sending increased supply to Austin in response to the water boil (order)," Jones said.

H-E-B also is sending trailer loads of water to the City of Austin and to the Central Texas Food Bank to support public distribution efforts, Jones said.

Randalls stores in Austin are limiting the purchase of water to two 24-packs plus 2-gallons of water per customer, according to spokesperson Christy Lara.

"Our teams have arranged for additional water to be delivered today to stores to meet an increased need for water in the area," Lara said. "The teams have also made the necessary adjustments in the impacted stores to accommodate the boil water notice for food preparation."

The city's announcement noted that customers can still do laundry without a need to boil water.

Meanwhile, here is the list of sites for residents to get water. Those picking up water are encouraged to bring empty containers to fill. The city adds that these open sites are primarily for those most in need and those who cannot afford to buy bottled water.

Austin Water Glen Bell Service Center*

Austin Water North Service Center*

* Customers must bring an empty water container.

The may add additional sites as more water becomes available.

What else should residents know? Here is an FAQ from the City of Austin:

A boil water notice is a public statement advising people to boil their tap water before using it, typically in response to an event that has (or could have) introduced contaminants into the water distribution system. Such events include a large water main break, widespread loss of system pressure, or results of routine sample testing in the system. Although waterborne diseases are extremely rare, they can be serious. The risk is higher for infants, the elderly and persons with immune deficiency disorders. Austin Water issues boil-water notices even if the possibility of contamination is remote to safeguard the health of the community.

You should boil tap water vigorously for at least two minutes prior to using it for drinking or cooking (the minute starts when the water begins to bubble). This includes water used for brushing teeth, making ice, washing raw foods, preparation of drinks and water for pets. Wait for the water to cool before using it or store it in the refrigerator in a clean container. Boiling removes harmful bacteria in the water that may cause illness. You should throw away ice made during the time the advisory or notice was issued, as freezing does not kill bacteria.

The water is safe for washing dishes, but you should use hot, soapy water (you may add one tablespoon of bleach per gallon as a precaution) and rinse dishes in boiled water. Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65.55°Celsius), or if the dishwater has a sanitizing cycle. 

There are no restrictions on doing laundry. 

During a boil water notice, you can use tap water and soap to wash hands. Be sure to scrub your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and rinse well under running water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. 

While you can use tap water for bathing and showering, be careful not to swallow any water. Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water. 

Brush teeth with previously boiled or bottled water. Do not use untreated tap water. 

Use boiled or bottled water only for drinking, cooking, making ice, washing fruits and vegetables, brushing teeth, making baby formula, bathing and cleaning.

Breast feed your baby or use ready-made formula. If you must use water to make formula, use bottled water. If you don’t have bottled water, use water that has been rapidly boiled for at least two (2) minutes.

You should follow the same boiling water procedures for your pet as you would for yourself.

Public notification will be given when a boil water notice or order is lifted. Typically the need to boil water lasts for 24 to 48 hours, but can be longer and may last for several days or more. How long will depend on the conditions that caused the need to boil, how quickly the conditions are corrected, and how long it takes for laboratory results to confirm it is safe to return to normal water use. Austin Water will provide updates on the progress of corrective actions and how long the event is expected to last.

When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, Austin Water will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. You should flush household pipes, ice makers, water fountains, etc. prior to using for drinking or cooking. Flushing simply means letting the water run to ensure that there is fresh water flowing through your pipes. Follow the following guidelines for flushing:

A milky appearance in the water typically indicates that there is air in the water. If let a glass of water sit, you'll notice the bubbles will disperse and clear up. It also can be common for calcium deposits or sediment to show up when your water service returns. Austin Water recommends that customers flush their plumbing lines by running the bathtub faucet for two minutes. If the cloudy appearance persists after you’ve flushed your plumbing lines, please report the issue using Austin Water’s online form or by calling 512-972-1000.

Customers do not need to independently have their water tested at their tap, nor does Austin Water hire individuals to solicit at-home water sampling. The Boil Water Notice will be rescinded when the results from the Austin's drinking water testing is in full compliance with national and state drinking water standards with no violations of listed contaminants. These tests are taken from various locations throughout the system that are approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  

Statesman staff writers Robert Sechler and Lori Hawkins contributed to this story.

Sarah Ann Dueñas is a digital producer for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at sduenas@gannett.com or on Twitter @sarahcantweet.