Port Arthur businesses demand better notice after water line break halts operations

A series of water line breaks in Port Arthur left some local restaurants without water and with little warning, forcing them to scramble, shut down service and absorb thousands of dollars in losses.

Business owners said they understand aging infrastructure can lead to breaks, but they were frustrated by what they described as a lack of timely communication after the problems began. They said they received little to no warning before losing water, leaving them to figure out next steps on their own while customers and employees were affected.

At Dylan’s in Port Arthur, General Manager Heather Burton said Sunday brunch, one of the restaurant’s busiest days, never got started after the water stopped flowing. “We lost a few thousand dollars in sales… We lost our entire dinner for Sunday evening,” Burton said.

Burton said the disruption forced the restaurant to throw away food prepared for Sunday, cut employee hours and deal with uncertainty that carried into Monday as customers stayed away. “We got no answers and we got no notifications… I don’t feel like we as a business should have to call and ask if we should be under a boil water notice,” she said.

The water issues were tied to leaks that resulted in thousands of gallons of water being lost, not just in recent days but across at least 11 breaks over more than a week.

Just down the road, Carmela’s Mexican Restaurant faced similar challenges. Owner Octaviano Abarca said his staff rushed to buy bottled water and disposable supplies after discovering the problem themselves. “I didn’t get no notifications about it… We had to get on the internet to see what was going on,” Abarca said.

Abarca estimated the unexpected closure cost the restaurant significant revenue. “About five thousand dollars loss… This is the first time that I didn’t get no notice at all,” he said.

Port Arthur Water Utilities consultant Hani Tohme said the city does not track the financial impact on businesses. “The city does not track any financial impacts on the businesses in the area. Now we do not do that. I don’t believe there’s a city that actually does that,” Tohme said.

Asked what responsibility the city has when businesses lose revenue because of infrastructure failures, Tohme said, “The city will have no responsibility when it comes to infrastructure failures of such as water line breaking and loss of service.”

City officials said replacing aging pipes and installing new smart water meters capable of detecting leaks faster should make the system more resilient over time. But business owners said they want better communication before the next break happens, arguing that while repairs can take time, timely notifications should not.