According to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) records, the Fort Worth suburb of White Settlement has had 52 drinking water violations since 2011.
The violations range from having too much contamination in the water to not doing enough testing, reported CBS DFW.
The most recent violation occurred in 2020, for failing to properly monitor the drinking water for E.coli. According to the city, the violation stemmed from failing to fully retest the water after a positive test for coliform and the issue has since been resolved.
According to City Manager Jeffrey James, the recent violations were the result of the city turning in paperwork late to the TECQ.
In 2018, the city of White Settlement saw elevated levels of lead in the drinking water, reported CBS DFW. In 2014, levels of radioactive contaminants were discovered in the water that exceeded maximum federal limits.
“Whatever the failure, I don’t know about it. It’s not been brought to my attention,” said Mayor Ronald White about the city’s recent water issues. “If there continue to be violations reported by TCEQ and I’m not being informed of it, then as far as I’m concerned, the problems have not been resolved. I believe most of these recent violations are administrative. I feel like the water is safe to drink. I drink it.”
White Settlement’s city manager said the city recently hired an environmental specialist to oversee all of the water testing and the reporting to TECQ.
According to CBS DFW, in the past five years, 64 cities and water utility districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have had at least one violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act.
