Page 5 - ATODAY

A5
U.S. NEWS Monday 19 deceMber 2016
Corpus Christi lifts water ban

after tests find no corrosive

JUAN LOZANO ficials were notified of the
HOUSTON (AP) — A nearly serious water problems at
four-day ban on drinking the plant site that ultimate-
the water in Corpus Christi, ly led to the water ban.
Texas, was lifted on Sunday There had been two re-
after test results showed ports earlier this month of
no contamination due to dirty water at the plant site
a chemical leak, the city’s that resulted in city workers
mayor announced. flushing out pipes. City of-
Mayor Dan McQueen said ficials have said such dirty-
residents could resume us- water reports are common.
ing the city’s water supply Valero said in a statement Mayor Dan McQueen announces that all water restrictions have
for drinking, bathing and Saturday that it then noti- been lifted on drinking the city’s water after test results showed
cooking. fied the city of “milky, sudsy no contamination due to a chemical leak, in Corpus Christi, Tex-
“It is all full use but we are water” at the plant on Dec. as during a news conference at City Hall Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016.
going to continue to moni- 7, a week before the water Associated Press
tor as we go on,” McQueen use ban was announced. and is located along the est in a string of water scares
said. Ergon had said in a state- Texas Gulf Coast. for the city. In May, the city
None of the 28 drinking ment that it uses a soap so- “This certainly isn’t some- issued its third boil-water
water samples the Environ- lution comprised of about thing the city wanted to advisory in a year as a pre-
mental Protection Agency 98 percent water and 2 do,” he said. “My heart caution after nitrogen-rich
reviewed tested positive percent Indulin and hydro- goes out to everybody runoff from rain flowed into
for Indulin AA-86, an as- chloric acid in its asphalt in our city right now. And the water system, resulting
phalt-emulsifying agent operations.Assistant City I apologize. I apologize in low chlorine disinfectant
that’s corrosive, the fed- Manager Mark Van Vleck personally.”This was the lat- levels in the water supply.q
eral agency said Sunday had told The Associated
in a statement. Indulin can Press on Saturday that city
burn the eyes, skin and re- technicians responding to
spiratory tract if a person dirty water complaints at
comes into contact with the plant were not alerted
concentrated amounts. to white, sudsy water until
The water ban had been Dec. 12.
issued late Wednesday out But on Sunday, Van Vleck
of concern that a chemi- said he believes Valero’s
cal leak at an asphalt plant version of events is prob-
leased to Ergon Asphalt ably accurate.
and Emulsions by oil refiner “When I read it I said, ‘That’s
Valero could have con- a little different from what
taminated the city’s water I’ve been told,’” said Van
supply. Vleck, who added that he
The EPA said there have was going on what people
been seven “unconfirmed” in the public works depart-
reports of symptoms pos- ment had told him.
sibly related to prohibited Ergon has acknowledged
water use. The federal the “soap solution” had
agency, along with the backflowed into a pipe
Texas Commission on Envi- through which it receives
ronmental Quality, will con- water at the plant. It said
tinue collecting and test- that pipe isn’t directly con-
ing water samples over the nected to the city water
next few days. main but rather is intercon-
McQueen said officials will nected.
continue investigating the On Sunday, Ergon said it
leak at the asphalt plant was pleased the water ban
and seek possible damag- had been lifted and would
es from those responsible. continue to cooperate
EPA spokesman David with officials.
Gray said Saturday night Officials in Corpus Christi
the federal agency would began on Sunday to dis-
begin an in-depth inves- mantle distribution cen-
tigation of the leak “and ters that had been set up
take appropriate action” to give water to residents,
as soon as it finished with said City Manager Margie
the water testing. Rose.
On Saturday, city officials The mayor cautioned resi-
had said that there had dents to be conservative
been three reports of dirty in their water use to avoid
water before the ban had overtaxing the system after
been issued. water tanks were flushed in
There has been some con- parts of the city, which has
fusion over when city of- about 300,000 residents