A community in North Texas has serious concerns about the safety of their drinking water, so WFAA ABC News Channel Eight conducted an investigative report. Residents in Chisholm Springs, an area just north of Fort Worth, have a problem with their drinking water. It smells foul and burns their skin when they shower in it. Complaints about the water have ranged from rashes and upset stomachs to shortness of breath, burns and headaches. Their water is dirty, smelly and undrinkable. After airing their initial investigative report about the water in Chisholm Springs, other residents in unincorporated areas in and around Tarrant County and the Barnett Shale area came forward with similar complaints.
Testing Water Samples in Chisholm Springs
Not only did the WFAA news team find very high chlorine levels in water tested in the Chisholm Springs community, An independent water quality expert, Zacariah Hildenbrand of Clear Environmental, along with a team of scientists from the University of Texas at Arlington found that in addition to over-chlorination, the minerals and metals in the water measured to nearly 1,100 parts per million (ppm), which is more than twice the federal limit for safe drinking water.
Aqua Texas Insists Water is Safe
Aqua Texas, the private ground water distribution company that services residents in Chisholm Springs and many other surrounding communities, has issued a statement defending their water quality, stating it “consistently meets all state and federal drinking water quality standards.” Residents got little help from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) too. Their investigators declared that all test results were within normal or safe ranges. Since the WFAA investigative report has aired, state officials have re-opened their investigation. At this time, residents still refuse to drink their smelly water.
Water Safety in Barnett Shale Region
Earlier this year, another WFAA investigation found what appeared to be numerous violations by drillers in the oil and natural gas extraction industry in the Barnett Shale area. These drillers were apparently ignoring mandates to properly seal wells with cement in order to protect precious groundwater. Since 2013, WFAA has found a pattern of fracking drillers failing to properly cement their natural gas wells. If you’re concerned about the safety of your drinking water or if you have suffered from some type of illness related to drinking your tap water, contact the team at the Altman Legal Group at 940-761-4000 for a free case consultation.