Texas, City of San Angelo Water tests found benzene, acetone and naphthalene; “Do not use the water” advisory continues. Schools, restaurants closed, TCEQ investigating. After Encana-Ovintiv illegally injected 18 million litres frac fluid into the fresh water aquifers that supply my well, naphthalene – red blood cell destroyer and one of the chemicals used in frac’ing – was found in my water.

A little industrial history:

Hydraulic fracturing fleet to move to San Angelo by Kenneth Grimm, Jan 15, 2018, Concho Valley Homepage

From the press release:

US Well Services, LLC (USWS) is pleased to announce we will begin operating a high pressure, high rate fracturing fleet servicing the Wolfcamp and Southern Eagle Ford Shale plays out of San Angelo, TX.

“We are pleased to have US Well Services join our business community. We know that San Angelo is perfectly positioned to serve the west Texas oil service industry, ” said mayor Brenda Gunter. “We have a great quality of life in San Angelo so it is easy to understand when a business is making a decision to relocate or to open a new facility why San Angelo is the best option from a business as well as a personal perspective.”

We are currently planning to reposition one of our current fleets from the Northeast U.S. to San Angelo, Texas, beginning operations in mid-February 2018. Initially this will involve one but could grow to a second fleet in the future.

USWS provides high-pressure, hydraulic fracturing services in unconventional oil and natural gas basins. Both our conventional (diesel) and Clean Fleet® (electric) hydraulic fracturing fleets are among the most reliable and highest performing fleets in the industry, with the capability to meet the most demanding pressure and pump rate requirements.

We are currently operating in the Marcellus and Utica shale regions of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. We are also operating in the Cotton Valley, Austin Chalk, and Eagle Ford Shale plays out of Bryan, TX. USWS continues to evaluate additional opportunities with existing and new customers to expand our operations throughout the United States.

USWS has leased a facility in San Angelo and will be hiring a number of office and shop employees to support Operations. Interested applicants should go to the USWS website and
complete an on-line Employment Application based on their job interests.

“The arrival of a highly-skilled, national well services company to San Angelo is further evidence that oil producers are being strengthened by the steady and measured increase in the price of West Texas Intermediate crude. Unlike the boom of 2014, this is a more durable and progressive resurgence of WTI, said Mike Boyd, President of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. “The efficiencies have increased greatly and the exportation of crude oil has also been a game-changer. We are proud that US Well Services has selected San Angelo as their base of operations for the region. We think they will be very pleased with their new strategic location decision.”

“Crisis upon crisis”: Industrial pollutants leave San Angelo residents without water as winter storm bears down, In some areas of the West Texas city, the state found concentrations of benzene, a known carcinogen, to be 35 times the safe limit. For other chemicals identified in the water, ***no concentration*** is considered safe by Erin Douglas, Feb. 12, 20219, Texas Tribune

Residents of San Angelo, a West Texas city in the Concho Valley, have gone days without safe drinking water after city officials discovered industrial chemicals contaminated the water system. I am in my 17th year living without safe drinking water.

The crisis — which stretches into at least its fifth day Friday — in the city of 101,000 people has left residents frustrated and scared after the city told them Monday night to cease all uses of water other than flushing their toilets. They were also told that first boiling the water before use would not make it usable and, instead, only more dangerous. I boiled and cooked with (and bathed in) my contaminated water for two years, before I uncovered the laws that Encana/Ovintiv had violated, when secretly, intentionally, frac’ing the aquifers that supply my well and injecting 18 Million litres of frac fluid directly into them. I began noticing weird things happening to my cooking: rice, pasta, potatoes, carrots would turn to mush before being “cooked” and had to be thrown out. One of the owners of the Rosebud Thorny Rose Cafe told me that her rice cookers would explode before the rice was cooked if she used well water. She kept buying different cookers think they were faulty. I told her it was likely the frac’d water, and to use bottled and see what happened – the rice cookers stopped exploding. I hate to think what we ingested, absorbed through out skin, and inhaled. More of my personal frac’d water experiences below.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found the water, which smelled like chemicals or mothballs, is contaminated with benzene, acetone, naphthalene and other chemicals consistent with industrial production.

The winter storm sweeping the state has complicated the struggle to restore safe water to the community and thwarted efforts to get water to those who need it. Hazardous road conditions have slowed water testing, as the tests need to travel more than three hours from San Angelo to a lab in Austin, and the conditions also delayed opening water distribution sites. At least one local group had to cease meal and water deliveries to the elderly on Thursday.

“We’re facing crisis upon crisis, with a global pandemic, arctic blast and water issues,” said Ashley Ammons, president and CEO of the United Way of the Concho Valley.

The city has narrowed down the investigation to the area in and near the PaulAnn neighborhood, where Debra Treadway lives on the northeast side of town. “How long is this going to go on?” she said.

Boiling the water would only make contamination worse, releasing the chemicals into the air. Without more information available about the extent of the contamination, the only action that was absolutely safe was to stop using it. Benzene is known to cause cancer. Acetone can be used industrially as a solvent, and naphthalene can be produced from coal tar or oil for use in plastics, pharmaceuticals and other products, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“I’m wondering what health effect this is going to have on me,” Treadway said.

The EPA limit for benzene in water is 5 milligrams per liter. The state’s first tests in the northeast areas of San Angelo on Monday found benzene concentrations ranging between 17 milligrams per liter to as high as 177 milligrams per liter — 35 times the legal limit.

Earl Lott, deputy director of the office of water for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, said there is no EPA standard for the other contaminants. “They’re not something you’d expect to see in drinking water,” he said. “No amount of those is acceptable.” Except according to water and energy regulators and “experts” in Alberta.

Naphthalene concentrations were found in one test to be as high as 141 milligrams per liter, according to data from the TCEQ.

“I sort of thought it smelled like propane gas,” Kinley Hurt Briseno said of the water in her home.

She’s a mother of two young children and resident of San Angelo. Briseno became concerned about her family when her husband took a shower Sunday night. He said he felt nauseous. She felt sick, too.

“We were light headed,” she said.

They decided to eat out that night and later left town to stay with family.

“We packed our things,” she said. “I can’t realistically keep two kids in the house with no water.”

The cause of the contamination is still under investigation. But, according to city and state officials, the source is likely an industrial company connected to the water system. Water may have flowed into an industrial plant, came into contact with dangerous chemicals there, lost pressure, and flowed back out into the system where it infiltrated nearby homes.

“We understand this is a severe inconvenience, but what we want to do is keep customers safe,” Allison Strube, the water utilities director for San Angelo, said during a press conference Wednesday. “This is not coming from the lake, the river, or the groundwater supply.”

United Way began delivering water to residents Tuesday. Calls for help have been constant, said Ammons, the local United Way CEO. Some people have COVID-19 and can’t leave their home due to quarantine. Others are elderly or disabled. Now, the winter storm has made it unsafe for many more to drive to pick up the water. Ammons said she had more than 150 missed calls on her office phone Thursday after being away for two hours.

“The longer it goes on, the worse it gets,” Ammons said of the water crisis. “There’s a lot of folks who are working long, long hours, from city government, to nonprofits, churches, that are making sure that there’s not going to be anyone in this community that will not have what they need.”

The city first received a complaint about an odd smell in water on Friday, said Brian Groves, spokesperson for the city of San Angelo. By Monday, officials determined the entire city could be at risk. Since then, officials have slowly released some areas from the water restrictions as they narrow down the area of contamination.

But half the city was still without water late Thursday, especially in a northeastern neighborhood where several industrial plants operate.

Treadway, lives on the northeast side of town in a mobile home. To keep her pipes from freezing, she’s forced to keep her water dripping from the faucet. She’s worried that the chemicals evaporating into the air could be dangerous for her while she’s trapped inside due to the weather.

“We don’t really have a choice,” Treadway said. She’s running a fan above her faucets.

Meanwhile, residents on the southern side of town are located on a high plane, hydrologically separated from the other half of the water distribution system, Strube, the water utilities director, explained during a Wednesday press conference. That’s why officials determined there was no risk of contamination on that side of town.

The city also found that the water was not contaminated at the source, meaning that neither the lake where the city gets its water, nor the central water treatment plant, are at fault.

More likely: An industrial plant connected to the water supply has a problem with “backflow.” Lott, of the TCEQ’s office of water, said that the state is investigating all the connections to the water system to find the source of the contamination.

“The [volatile organic compounds] that were discovered are not something you’d see from a typical household,” he said. “We’re focused on the industrial sources.”

When backflow isn’t prevented properly, water can flow in both directions, he said. That can happen due to a loss in pressure to the system, but the state requires any entity connected to the water system — residential or industrial — to have a backflow prevention device to stop water from reversing back into the system at large.

“There are quite a few industrial sources in the area,” he said. “It is a pretty exhaustive search, and it could take a while.”

Officials hope they will soon be able to fully flush the contaminants out of the water at a fire hydrant or other source, and restore full service to the city. But that, too, could be delayed due to weather conditions, Lott said, since after flushing, officials will need to test the water again to be sure it’s safe.

Residents say that even as officials narrow the area of contamination, they’re left with more questions than answers. Christopher Hinds, who grew up in San Angelo and now lives there with his wife and daughter, said he’s worried about the long-term health effects of exposure to the chemicals. He turned on the water Wednesday to a strong stench.

“It burned my throat,” he said. “That scared me.”

His daughter, age 7, is upset she can’t go to school. He is upset regulators didn’t prevent this — and that the city, in his opinion, has not done enough to educate the public on the potential harms.

“They’re acting like they’re doing this out of an abundance of caution,” he said. “But these are known carcinogens.”

Hinds, a substitute teacher, used to be a bartender. In San Angelo, tips from oil and gas workers paid his bills. It’s a conservative town, he said, and people generally support the businesses that operate there. But the water crisis has made him concerned about how industry is impacting their lives, and said state and local governments had failed residents. “We don’t know what it’s going to do to us 20 years from now,” he said.

Investigators Brought in to Pinpoint San Angelo Water Contamination by Sonia Ramirez-Muñoz, Feb 11, 2021, SanAngeloLIVE

… The source of the contaminants remains unknown and in an effort to find the culprit for contamination, the State of Texas Department of Emergency Management reached out to the City of McAllen to request assistance. Crews with the McAllen Public Utility department and an Emergency Manager will be traveling to San Angelo to help pinpoint where the pollution came from. “The City of McAllen is always ready and willing to provide our experience, expertise, and resources to our fellow Texas communities, and also, our compassion, help, and support,” said McAllen City Manager Roel Rodriguez, P.E. “We are proud that whenever we are asked to help, our employees immediately volunteer and are ready to serve.” The McAllen investigators will remain in San Angelo for an unspecified amount of time.

Feb 10, 2021: City of San Angelo water update:

… During the press conference officials revealed that three chemical contaminants were confirmed by TCEQ testing: benzene, acetone, and naphthalene.

Here are 10 questions answered on San Angelo’s water advisory, including what you can do by Alana Edgin, updated Feb 10, 2021, San Angelo Standard-Times

… What is in the water?

Tests from Monday have returned, showing benzene, acetone and naphthalene. Ingesting acetone or benzene, which are solvents, could be hazardous, but the greater risk is inhalation, according to Josh Berryhill, a contractor hired by the city.

“That’s the biggest reason why TCEQ early on said … let’s do a ‘stop use, do not use’ order,” Berryhill explained, noting that boiling the contaminated water would release those chemicals into the air faster. 

Naphthalene is a hydrocarbon with a strong mothball odor, according to the National Library of Medicine. It is a human carcinogen, which a study found causes cancer in lab rats. …

Will boiling, purifying or distilling the water help?

No. “Boiling water will not help because the potential contamination is not bacterial and therefore cannot be killed via boiling. We are continuously monitoring for bacteria – it is not present at this time,” the City of San Angelo stated. 

Can you wash your hands or bathe?

No. After over a year of wash your hands notices ties to the pandemic, the city is advising residents not to use the tap water to wash your hands or for cleaning. 

Is the water safe for pets?

Use bottled water for pets. 

“Our approach is if the water is not safe for humans to ingest or bathe, then we’re making the assumption that it’s not safe for pets,” said Jenie Wilson, executive director for Concho Valley PAWS. 

Are water bottle filling stations safe to use?

No. These stations are “fed by City water, we do not recommend using those until we have more information,” according to the city.

Are restaurants open?

They should not be open if their portion of the city is under the advisory. This is because retail food establishments must have “hot and cold running water under pressure,”  according to the city. Since the city is under a “do not use” the water notice, restaurants should be closed. …

***

After Encana/Ovintiv illegally frac’d my community’s drinking water aquifers, tests of my water revealed naphthalene present; barium and strontium doubled; chromium increased by a factor of 45; explosive levels of methane and ethane; phthalates and more. My frac’d water caused caustic burns to skin and eyes and split the skin on my hands after doing dishes/washing floors. Tests by Encana on the hamlet water found benzene and other toxic chemicals; tests by the water regulator found hexavalent chromium, carcinogen – they did not tell the community, I did.

My dogs not only refused to drink it; they backed away from it, snarling when I poured them a fresh bowl (of frac).

Encana and its enabling regulators did not disclose the evil that had been done. I did not find out until after two years of bathing in and living with the toxic explosive water venting out of my water taps into my home, poisoning me and my loved ones. Regardless of the industrial contaminants present and the documented evidence of Encana’s law violations, the Alberta regulators blamed me, told the community and media I was crazy, protected the polluting law violating frac’er, engaged in fraud to try to cover-up what Encana had done, and issued a letter advising me my water was safe to use and live with.

My water is too dangerous to even use to flush toilets, so my well remains disconnected to my home; I have relied on hauled water since 2006 and for two years before that, used and lived with the toxic explosive water.

City of San Angelo Issues Disaster Declaration Over Water by Joe Hyde, Feb 9, 2021, SanAngeloLIVE

SAN ANGELO, TX — The City of San Angelo is issuing an Emergency Disaster Declaration and activating the City and County Emergency Operations Plan, which allows us to request funding and assistance from the State of Texas if needed. In doing this, the City can request needed resources such as:

  • A financial disaster expert from the state for future emergencies
  • Bottled water for distribution.

… The City of San Angelo Water Utilities Department issued a “do not use” order for city water flowing out of taps citywide due to an undetermined contamination. The water in the PaulAnn area began smelling like mothballs yesterday. TCEQ said the commission is looking at nephthalene as a possible culprit. Restaurants and bars were ordered closed.

More on the city of San Angelo water crisis:

Some San Angelo residents can again use water as odor probed by APNews, Feb 9, 2021

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — Some residents in a West Texas city could once again drink and use their tap water on Tuesday as officials continued to investigate what led to reports of water smelling like mothballs in one neighborhood.

Officials in San Angelo, a city of about 100,000 located 225 miles (362.10 kilometers) southwest of Fort Worth, said they still don’t know what contaminated the water but expect test results back on Wednesday.

With the advisory on Monday that no one who used the city’s water system should drink the water or bathe or wash their hands with it, schools and restaurants closed across the area.

But by late Tuesday afternoon, city officials said they’d determined that some residents could begin drinking the water again. Officials said the city distributes water on two pressure planes because of the difference in elevation throughout the city, and the apparent contamination was limited to a portion of the lower pressure plane. So those served by the upper plane were told they could resume using their water.

City spokesman Brian Groves said Tuesday that he did not know what percentage of customers were still unable to use water. Groves said they have no reason to believe the issue in San Angelo has anything to do with hacking. On Monday, a sheriff’s office in Florida said a hacker on Friday had gained entry to the system controlling the water treatment plant for Oldsmar, a city of 15,000, and tried to taint the water supply with a caustic chemical.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is working with San Angelo to determine what caused the smell, and has said about 50 residents of a neighborhood reported the water smelling like mothballs.

The TCEQ said that naphthalene smells like mothballs.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information said naphthalene is obtained from coal tar or petroleum distillation and is used in the manufacturing of plastics and in moth repellents.

Thomas Torlincasi@ThomasTorlinca1 Replying to @BudKennedy

Napthalene? You mean ground water cross contamination most likely from fracking.

Do not use San Angelo water: See the latest on the citywide water advisory by San Angelo Standard-Times, Feb 9, 2021

This is a developing story. Please check back frequently for updates.

SAN ANGELO — The city of San Angelo issued an advisory Monday evening asking residents not to use water citywide, which has triggered school and business closures across the area.

On Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, San Angelo ISD and other educational institutions announced campuses would be closed Feb. 9, 2021 in response to the water advisory.

Some restaurants in San Angelo also shut their doors Monday night. Signs outside IHOP, Denny’s and Whataburger informed customers they were closed until further notice.

At around 1 a.m. Tuesday, the city issued a clarification on social media concerning whether restaurants could operate at all, noting that retail food establishments normally required hot and cold running water under pressure.

“In this case, due to our ‘do not use’ notice, this does not allow for restaurants to remain in operation at this time,” a news release stated.

City officials said the issue with San Angelo’s water wasn’t bacteriological, and therefore could not be solved by boiling water.

Shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday the city issued an emergency declaration

“The City of San Angelo is issuing an Emergency Disaster Declaration and activating the City and County Emergency Operations Plan, which allows us to request funding and assistance from the State of Texas if needed,” a statement from the city noted.

With the order, the City can request needed resources such as:

  • A financial disaster expert from the state for future emergencies
  • Bottled water for distribution 

Lyndy Stone, spokesperson for Shannon Medical Center, stated the notice will not impact the hospitals due to their emergency contingency plan. They have water for staff and patients and our following their plan.

“I think we’re in good shape at the moment,” Stone said.

The Tom Green County Detention Center has secured several thousand gallons of water for drinking and cooking uses, according to a news release from the county sheriff’s office. Arrangements also have been made to get more water resources if needed.

San Angelo’s advisory to stop using water may be tied to naphthalene. Here’s what that is

TCEQ issues statement on water issues

About 10:30 p.m. Monday, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a statement about the water issue in San Angelo. 

Late Monday afternoon the city reported about 50 residents of the PaulAnn neighborhood in northwest San Angelo reported water smelling like naphthalene, which smells like moth balls, the commission stated. 

“The city rushed samples of the water to a laboratory for testing on Monday … TCEQ personnel are assisting the city in identifying potential sources and causes of the odor,” the statement noted. 

Water systems impacted by the ‘do not use’ advisory include: 

A sign on a storefront announces its closure due to a 'do not use' water advisory issued Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.
  • City of San Angelo Water System
  • Turquoise Water
  • Concho Rural Water Pecan Creek
  • City of Miles
  • Twin Buttes Water System
  • Concho Rural Water Grape Creek
  • Water Wagon Water Hauling Service
  • Goodfellow AFB
  • Red Creek MUD
  • Concho Rural Water – Water Hauling
  • Original Services Water Hauler
  • Millersview-Doole Water System. (Millersview said they only use San Angelo water in emergencies. Their tap water is safe to use.)

Officials with Ballinger’s water department said the town’s water goes through their own water treatment plant, so the water is safe

H-E-B promises to have water stocked 

H-E-B released a statement Monday saying it was working diligently to support the San Angelo community during the current no-water use order.

“Our stores will be fully stocked with water when our doors open (Monday). H-E-B’s top priority is making sure our stores are functional and that supply is strong to support the needs of our customers,” a statement read.

Here’s what we know about cancellations

There will be no curbside meals at the senior center today due to the ‘do not use’ water advisory.

ASU: Due to the precautionary citywide water advisory, classes at Angelo State University have been cancelled and the university will be closed Tuesday, Feb. 9. Essential staff personnel should contact their direct supervisor for further information.

Goodfellow AFB: Due to a city wide water advisory, all base activities are cancelled tomorrow (Feb. 9) for non-mission essential personnel. The Child Development Center (CDC) and School Age Program will be closed. The Exchange, Commissary and dining facilities will remain open.

Howard College: Due to the City of San Angelo city-wide “Do Not Use Water” advisory issued on Monday evening the Howard College San Angelo and St. John’s campuses will be closed Tues 2/9/2021. Face-to-face classes are canceled and offices will be closed. Virtual and online classes will continue as scheduled.

Olfen ISD: Olfen ISD will be closed Monday. It’s water system, Millersview-Doole, has been added to the list of suppliers with water concerns. Water is only to be used for flushing toilets until further notice. This impacts our ability to cook and clean. No remote learning today, instead the time will be used by staff to prepare to transition to remote learning if this becomes necessary. 

SAISD: All campuses and schools will be closed Feb. 9 due to a citywide “do not use water” advisory. There will be no expectation of online attendance for Virtual Academy students and in-person students. All afternoon and evening practices and games on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 are cancelled. 

TLCA San Angelo: TLCA San Angelo will be closed Tuesday, February 9th due to the City of San Angelo city-wide “Do Not Use Water” advisory issued on Monday evening, February 8, 2021. There will be no expectation of online attendance for Virtual students or in-person students. We encourage you to please continue checking our website at TLCA-SanAngelo.com, Facebook and our local media channels for further closure-related updates. An email and text message to our families will be sent very soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Cornerstone Christian School: At this time, Cornerstone will have school Tuesday. The city-wide alert impacts hand washing and drinking water. Toilets are functioning. Hand sanitizer and wipes will be available instead of sink water usage. Please bring water bottles. Stay tuned for more information.

Premier High School: Due to the city-wide water restriction, PHS – San Angelo will cancel all ON-CAMPUS classes tomorrow, Tuesday, February 9th. ALL students will be expected to work remotely tomorrow and adhere to our virtual check-in guidelines via Google Meets. Students who fail to check-in with their teacher AND work either online or in their Knowledge Units will be counted absent. Parents and students are encouraged to check for correspondence from classroom teachers regarding assignments, math tutorials, testing, etc.

Trinity Lutheran School San Angelo: For the safety of our students and staff, we will be following the recommendations of the City of San Angelo and canceling school Tuesday due to a city wide water advisory. ECC will be closed as well.

San Angelo YMCA: Due to the COSA water advisory, the Y has closed off use of sinks, showers, pool and hot tub. This will most likely continue into the morning hours. We will continue to watch updates from the City of San Angelo.

San Angelo YMCA Preschool: Due to Texas standards, any licensed childcare program cannot operate without running water. At this time the Y’s Little Preschool Program is scheduled to be CLOSED. Should this change overnight you will receive communication from your program director. We understand how frustrating this is and we hope it is resolved in a timely manner.

Little Rascals Clubhouse: Due to the “Do Not Use Water” notice Little Rascal’s Clubhouse will be closed tomorrow February 9, 2021.

San Angelo Early Childhood Center: Closed.

Emergency Declaration issued for San Angelo due to water advisory

Here are 10 questions answered on San Angelo’s water advisory, including what you can do

San Angelo’s advisory to stop using water may be tied to naphthalene. Here’s what that is

See the advisory from San Angelo

Original release with updates:

Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, the San Angelo Water Utilities Department began receiving numerous complaints about an unusual odor in their tap water in the PaulAnn area.

The odor is typically more noticeable during aeration of the water, for instance while showering or washing your hands in a sink. The City sent a laboratory crew to the area to speak to several residents and to collect water samples in an effort to determine the cause and source of the odor. Water samples have been shipped overnight to an independent laboratory to help determine the cause.

As a precaution, Water Utilities requests that you do not use the water citywide until the cause and source is determined. This includes bathing. Water can be used for flushing of toilets or for watering landscape. Laboratory test results should be available within 24-48 hours.

Chlorine residuals and bacteria tests in the area are normal. There is no concern for bacterial contamination, which is being monitored continuously at this time.

This is a precautionary advisory until we have more information.

If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact the Water Quality Lab at 325-481-2722.

For clarification, in order for retail food establishments to operate, they must have hot and cold running water under pressure. In this case due to our “do not use” notice, this does not allow for restaurants to remain in operation at this time. Boiling water will not solve the issue because this is not a bacteriological issue that can be solved by boiling water.

A timeline of events

2:55 p.m. Feb. 9 — The Tom Green County Detention Center announced it has secured water. “As a result of the current emergency declaration by the City of San Angelo regarding water contamination concerns, the Tom Green County Detention Center has secured several thousand gallons of water for drinking and cooking purposes.  This water is packaged in 16 ounce bottles, gallon jugs, and five gallon jugs to sustain operations.  Additionally, arrangements have been made to acquire additional water resources should they be needed.”

1:48 p.m. Feb. 9 — The city of San Angelo issues public emergency declaration: The City of San Angelo is issuing an Emergency Disaster Declaration and activating the City and County Emergency Operations Plan, which allows us to request funding and assistance from the State of Texas if needed. In doing this, the City can request needed resources such as:

  • A financial disaster expert from the state for future emergencies
  • Bottled water for distribution

12:26 p.m. Feb. 9 — TCEQ issues updated statement noting its staff were in San Angelo to assist local officials in resolving “an incident that caused the city to issue a Do Not Use Advisory late Monday.” The updated statement says the advisory was the result of residents reporting the water “having a chemical odor like moth balls,” but does not mention naphthalene by name. “TCEQ is coordinating with the Texas Department of Emergency Management and the Texas National Guard 6th Civil Support Team to respond to any requests for assistance from local officials.”

10:33 a.m. Feb. 9 — After being inundated with calls to 911 regarding water questions, San Angelo Police Department issues statement urging residents with questions to reach out to the Water Quality Lab at 325-481-2722. “San Angelo Public Safety Communications has been inundated with calls from citizens about the recent Precautionary Citywide Water Advisory.  As a reminder, non-emergency calls to inquire about water/power utilities or road conditions are problematic because they tie up lines that are meant for our residents who need to call about an immediate danger to themselves or someone else.”

10:12 a.m. Feb. 9 — City issues statement: We do not have any new information to report at this time. City staff has been working all night on the issue with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. We are still awaiting results from the test samples that were taken yesterday. Here is what we know at this time:

  • Complaints of unusual odor in tap water in PaulAnn area
  • City collected water samples to send to labs to help determine cause of the odor
  • Do not use water at this time. This extends to the entire city as well customers of the city water utility system. You can find that list at cosatx.us/news.
  • Do not use water for anything other than flushing toilets or watering landscape. This includes bathing, handwashing or any consumption. We recommend using bottled water at this time.
  • This does not allow for retail food establishments to remain in operation at this time.
  • Boiling water will not help because the potential contamination is NOT bacterial and therefore cannot be killed via boiling. We are continuously monitoring for bacteria – it is not present at this time.
  • We hope to receive lab results later today.
  • This issue is precautionary until we have more information.
  • Water Department crews and staff have been working nonstop to resolve this issue and restore water back to our community.

8:21 a.m. Feb. 9 — City announces there will be no curbside meals at the senior center due to water issues.

12:58 a.m. Feb. 9 — The city updates its statement on the advisory: For clarification, in order for retail food establishments to operate, they must have hot and cold running water under pressure. In this case due to our “do not use” notice, this does not allow for restaurants to remain in operation at this time. Boiling water will not solve the issue because this is not a bacteriological issue that can be solved by boiling water.

10:20 p.m. Feb. 8 — TCEQ announces it’s assisting San Angelo with working to determine what caused the city to issue a “do not use advisory” late Monday. The statement indicates the city notified TCEQ late Monday that “about 50 residents in the PaulAnn neighborhood in the northwest part of San Angelo reported the water smelling of naphthalene, which smells like moth balls.” The city rushed samples of  the water to a laboratory for testing Monday and the agency was working to identify potential sources and causes of the odor.

7:45 p.m. Feb. 8 — Angelo State University announced its classes were canceled for Tuesday.

7:39 p.m. Feb. 8 — Howard College announced its San Angelo and St. John’s campuses would be closed and face-to-face classes canceled. Virtual and online classes would continue as scheduled.

7:26 p.m. Feb. 8 — San Angelo ISD announces all of its offices and campuses would be closed Feb. 9.

6:16 p.m. Feb. 8 — City of San Angelo issues precautionary citywide “do not use water” advisory. The advisory reads: Today, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, the San Angelo Water Utilities Department began receiving numerous complaints about an unusual odor in their tap water in the PaulAnn area. The odor is typically more noticeable during aeration of the water, for instance while showering or washing your hands in a sink. The City sent a laboratory crew to the area to speak to several residents and to collect water samples in an effort to determine the cause and source of the odor. Water samples have been shipped overnight to an independent laboratory to help determine the cause.

As a precaution, Water Utilities requests that you do not use the water citywide until the cause and source is determined. This includes bathing. Water can be used for flushing of toilets or for watering landscape. Laboratory test results should be available within 24-48 hours.

Chlorine residuals and bacteria tests in the area are normal. There is no concern for bacterial contamination, which is being monitored continuously at this time.

This is a precautionary advisory until we have more information.

If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact the Water Quality Lab at 325-481-2722.

For clarification, in order for retail food establishments to operate, they must have hot and cold running water under pressure. In this case due to our “do not use” notice, this does not allow for restaurants to remain in operation at this time. Boiling water will not solve the issue because this is not a bacteriological issue that can be solved by boiling water.  Please add these water systems to the do not use notice. These water systems listed below are customers of the City of San Angelo Water System. …

San Angelo’s advisory to stop using water may be tied to naphthalene. Here’s what that is by Diane Pantaleo, Feb 9, 2021, GoSanAngelo

On Monday, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued an advisory instructing San Angelo residents not to use water citywide, and officials have said residents reported the water smelled like naphthalene. 

Officials sent samples of the water to a laboratory for testing Monday, but it may take 24 to 48 hours to see results. 

On Tuesday, statements released by TCEQ were amended to describe the smell of the water as “a chemical odor like moth balls.” At this time, the water sample results have not been returned, or made public.

The news of the advisory led to school and business closures across the area. San Angelo ISD and other educational institutions announced that they would be closed Tuesday, and signs outside IHOP, Denny’s and Whataburger informed customers they were closed until further notice.

Here’s a look at the uses and effects of exposure to naphthalene, and what that means going forward as San Angelo addresses the situation. 

What is naphthalene, and what is it used for? 

Naphthalene is a hydrocarbon with a strong mothball odor, according to the National Library of Medicine. It can be obtained from either coal tar or petroleum distillation.

It is primarily used in plastic manufacturing, and it is also used to make resins, fuels and dyes. It is also used in moth repellants and as a fumigate insecticide. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, most products that contain naphthalene are used to control clothes moths in airtight containers.

What are the health risks of naphthalene?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists naphthalene as “reasonably anticipated” to be a human carcinogen, citing a study that found the compound causes cancer in lab rats. In particular, it may be associated with a higher risk of colorectal and laryngeal cancers.

Inhaling naphthalene could cause nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. In some cases, exposure to large amounts can cause anemia. Ingesting naphthalene could cause kidney damage.

What happens next?

At this time, residents are advised not to use water until the source of the odor residents have reported is identified. This means that residents should not use the water for drinking and bathing. Residents can still use the water to flush toilets and for landscaping.

The city has also clarified that restaurants cannot remain open under the advisory. 

The City of San Angelo will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. It will be posted to their social media accounts, as well as on tceq.texas.gov.

What should you do if you have more questions?

San Angelo Public Safety Communications has been inundated with calls from residents about the recent Citywide Water Advisory in place.

The City of San Angelo would like to remind everyone that non-emergency calls to inquire about water/power utilities or road conditions are problematic because they tie up lines that are meant for our residents who need to call about an immediate danger to themselves or someone else.

For the most up-to-date information on the current water advisory, visit the City of San Angelo’s Facebook page or website. If you have questions concerning the test results of the sampled water you should contact the Water Quality Lab at 325-481-2722.

This story will be updated when more information is available.

Refer also to:

Chemical Company Elementis Chromium Inc. Failed to Disclose Public Health Risks from exposure to hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, Judge Rules in Favor of EPA

New Study Confirms Fracking Wastewater Is Cancer-Causing. “Barium and Strontium were elevated in frac flowback water exposed cells.” Encana and Alberta government testing showed barium & strontium doubled in Ernst’s water after Encana’s illegal aquifer fracing

Yet another study proves how toxic frac waste water is, finds 201 compounds in it, including carcinogens, that can “directly contaminate drinking water sources”

New study: “Hazardous substances as the dominant non-methane volatile organic compounds with potential emissions from liquid storage tanks during well fracturing.” What toxic frac shit are we breathing, bathing in, ingesting? This study says lots, including red blood cell destroyer, naphthalene (found in my water after Encana/now Ovintiv’s illegal aquifer fracs).

Pennsylvania Grand Jury Nails It: Hydraulic fracturing is poisoning us (AER & BC OGC are much more corrupt and industry-controlled regulators than PA’s DEP)

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