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February 2021 Water Contamination Information
Summary of the final update
- The City did not find the source of the contamination and without new information will likely never know who was responsible. We did not find definitive proof of a deficiency combined with a location utilizing all the chemicals found in the contamination.
- The February contamination event could have been caused by less than a gallon of chemicals, which made the investigation even more difficult.
- The City was assisted in the investigation by experts from all over the state, including inspectors from the cities of McAllen, Brownwood, Abilene and Lubbock.
- TCEQ conducted an independent investigation
- The contamination event could have been caused by a commercial or residential customer, meaning that it could have been something such as the lack of a commercial backflow preventer like and Reduced Pressure Zone Device (RPZ) or Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly device (RBPA), lack of air gap on equipment or an atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB), which is installed on hose bibs at both commercial and residential facilities.
- There are no water consumption or usage restrictions for any area of the City.
- The northern industrial area will continue to be valved off from the rest of the water system as a precautionary measure.
- 85 inspections were done on 81 sites in the northern industrial area
- 4 sites had to be revisited due to items such as follow-up notes in a previous CSI report and timing with the storm in February
- 59 of 81 sites received letters to address deficiencies
- 34 of 59 letters were to address deficiencies such as hose bib vacuum breakers or air gaps at the hot water heater
- 25 of 59 letters were items such as adding, relocating or upgrading backflow assemblies
- The sites that received a letter have 30 days to address the deficiencies
- Moving forward:
- The City will implement a more rigorous backflow/cross-connection program citywide
- Form a committee to oversee program made up of City staff, community members and professionals from various related fields (i.e. plumbers)
- Adopt ordinances related to further plumbing requirements
- The City is hiring three employees dedicated solely to customer service inspections in coordination with the Water Utilities Department
Final Update to City Council on the February Water Contamination Event
April 6, 2021
