Williamson County, like the entire state of Texas, continues to deal with continued blackouts, but County Judge Bill Gravell wants to remind residents that the county has no control over water or electrical services. (Ali Linan / Community Impact Diary)
Williamson County, like the entire state of Texas, continues to deal with continued blackouts, but County Judge Bill Gravell wants to remind residents that the county has no control over water or electrical services.
“Make it clear, Williamson County doesn’t control power,” Gravell said in an interview with Community impact newspaper.
Gravel said about 40 percent of the county has no electricity. While he said he believes the number of customers affected by the blackouts will decline over the next few days, the county will continue to face continued blackouts for at least the next two to three days.
“I think that will be a matter of days,” Gravell said. “We will have to have patience and work together to overcome this difficult time.”
Gravell said the county is working with area cities in the back to help bolster services where it can, including opening county-wide charging stations for those who need to recharge oxygen equipment.
Gravell added that while officials are in talks with the opening of heating centers for those without electricity, it has been difficult to secure a place they know will not suffer disruptions either.
“We still don’t have a location to put someone in [and] make sure there is electricity and, most importantly, heat in this facility, “Gravell said.” It’s a pretty tricky question, but we’re working with our cities to take these steps if possible. “
Gravell said that in 12 months, the county and Texas have survived the onset of a pandemic, a turbulent political season and will also survive this situation.
“I know people are just exhausted where we are, but we’re jeans,” Gravell said. “We succeeded. We just have to move on, take care of ourselves, take care of our family and take care of our neighbors, because that’s what sets us apart. “
He The Texas Electric Reliability Council, or ERCOT, operates the state’s electric grid and manages approximately 90% of the state’s electric charge. For more information on water outages and utilities, contact your direct provider.