City shuts water off on North Austin Street Wednesday
Public Works will cut water to North Austin Street between East Empire and East Driscoll from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 28 to install a new water main valve.
The following is a news release from the City of Cortez, posted to the city’s news flash page on October 26, 2026.
Planned Water Outage on North Austin Street – Wednesday, Oct. 28th, 2026
The Public Works Department will be conducting a planned water shutoff on N. Austin St. from E. Empire to E. Driscoll to install a new water main valve as part of ongoing system improvements. During this operation, water service will be temporarily unavailable for customers in the affected area.
Date: 10/28/2026
Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Affected Area: North Austin St. from East Empire to East Driscoll
This temporary outage is necessary to ensure the safe and successful connection of new infrastructure. Crews will work to complete the project as quickly as possible to minimize disruption.
Residents are encouraged to prepare by storing any water needed for drinking, cooking, or other essential uses prior to the shutoff. Once service is restored, brief discoloration or air in the lines may occur—this is normal. Running cold water for a few minutes typically clears the issue.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to improve the reliability of the water system.
For questions or additional information, please contact:
Jason Chaffin, Public Works Superintendent. Phone: 970-759-3230
Graphic: City of Cortez
Two notes from the Current. The city’s notice graphic, above, adds a line the written release does not: the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. window is the plan and “may extend if unexpected issues occur.”
The two also give different numbers to call. The written release names Public Works Superintendent Jason Chaffin at 970-759-3230; the graphic gives 970-565-7320, the city’s main line. Either should reach the department.
The notice is on the city’s news flash page.