SAN ANGELO, TX – The City of San Angelo has released another update on the ongoing water crisis after the city discovered the presence of benzene, acetone, and naphthalene earlier this week.
According to the city, the first odor complaint was received on Friday, February 5th. A resident in the PaulAnn area contacted the water department and staff visited the home. At that time the city workers and the resident were unable to detect further odors.
Three more complaints were received on Sunday and by Monday they rapidly increased. It was at this time the city began working with the TCEQ to identify possible pollutants and prevent further contamination.
As of Thursday, the City of San Angelo and TCEQ have collected a combined total of 44 samples throughout the city to pinpoint the contaminants and their origin.
According to officials, the samples taken from various locations in the green and white zones have not returned positive for unwanted contaminants.
However, the white zone area must remain under a Do-Not-Drink order until the TCEQ receives test results that confirm the city’s previous results showing there is no benzene, acetone, and naphthalene present in those areas.
The current order was put in place instead of a boil water notice in certain areas because when the issue first became apparent, the city and TCEQ suspected that the contamination involved some form of volatile organic compounds that would evaporate from the water rapidly and create a strong odor.
In addition to the odor, releasing the contaminants into the air could pose health hazards if ingested or inhaled.
The PaulAnn sector, which encompasses a large portion of the red area on the map, has been the only section to test positive for the contaminants and has been isolated from the rest of the City’s water system since Monday.
Officials were able to determine that the contaminants entered into the city’s distribution system only in the northeastern area of the city and not from the water plant. At this time it appears the water was contaminated after leaving the treatment plant.
On Wednesday evening, city workers separated the industrial area north of PaulAnn to prevent the circulation of water into the area. This was done to minimize the risk of releasing more chemicals into San Angelo’s water system.
City personnel has been working hand-in-hand with a specialized crew from the City of McAllen to pinpoint the contamination source. According to officials, experts have visited industrial and commercial sites and inspected equipment.
In order to restore full water use to the residents in the PaulAnn area, the city began flushing hydrants late Wednesday evening. The flushing will continue 24/7 until all the existing water is removed. After the flushing is completed, a new round of testing will be conducted with LCRA.
Additionally, the city clarified that it does not believe the contamination is part of a malicious attack as the contaminants were localized to a specific area.
“We'd like to thank those who have been working nonstop on this issue, as well as our citizens who have had to go without water these past couple of days. We are also appreciative of our community partners and local businesses who have offered support and assistance during this time,” said the city In a statement. “We are extremely grateful to the McAllen personnel for providing their expertise."
The City of San Angelo will continue distributing cases of water on Friday. The hours of operation will be announced as soon as road conditions have been reviewed.
The locations of the distributions are:
- San Angelo Coliseum - 50 E. 43rd St.
- Bradford Elementary - 2302 Bradford St. (Enter off Bradford and 23rd Street)
- Central High School - 655 Caddo St. (Enter off Caddo Street near Hickory Street)
Additionally, the San Angelo YMCA is offering free showers to those who are unable to bathe due to the current water regulations. Those interested as asked to bring their personal toiletries and towels.
The YMCA will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., as long as the weather permits. Masks are required upon entering the facility.
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