It’s Okay to Use Tap Water Again in Corpus Christi

Officials in Corpus Christi, Texas advised residents there that it is now okay to use the tap water there. A month ago, the water system had been infiltrated by a dangerous chemical that burns the skin.

Customers of the city of Corpus Christi were notified on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016 of a problem with the city’s drinking water, a press release says. Now, though, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the City of Corpus Christi have concurred on the decision to lift the tap water restrictions citywide effective immediately, it adds.

The city says that each tap must be cleared for at least 2 minutes. It also says that homeowners and businesses should replace their water filters.

A story in WaterOnline references a CNN story, which said that the first warnings may not have been as dire as everyone thought: “The announcement came after 28 water samples were tested and none came back positive for unacceptable levels of [contaminants],” the report said, citing state regulators.

Still, the water emergency caused schools and businesses to close and interrupted sporting and holiday events, adds WaterOnline.

The water journal also references a story in the Washington Post: “Officials sent out an alert [on December 14] night telling the city’s 320,000 residents not to drink, bathe or prepare food with tap water after an accident in Corpus Christi’s industrial district caused an asphalt emulsifier to seep into water supplies. By [the following] night, the warning had been lifted in at least three neighborhoods but remained in effect for the majority of the city, including its commercial and residential hubs,” The Washington Post reported.

The chemical is known as Indulin AA-86. It can burn human skin, says WaterOnline. Between 3 gallons and 24 gallons of the chemical got into the water in Corpus Christi.