Publisher’s note: As of Monday morning, March 17, the boil water notice was lifted.
By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Residents of the Lake Ridge area northwest of Del Rio remain under a boil water notice today while tests are conducted to determine if their water is safe to drink.
Lake Ridge residents have been under the boil water notice since
Lenawee and Kenwood Avenues just behind the former Wright’s Steakhouse. Users of
the Lake Ridge Water System are currently being directed to boil their water before using
it for household purposes like drinking or cooking. (Photo by Karen Gleason)
Monday, March 10, according to Billy Whaley, the manager of the Lake Ridge Water System.
The Lake Ridge Water System is a private water system not connected to or operated by Val Verde County or the city of Del Rio, Whaley said.
Whaley took The 830 Times on a tour of the system late Friday afternoon after meeting earlier in the day with representatives of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and with County Commissioner Pct. 3 Fernando Garcia.
Whaley said the Lake Ridge Water System serves about 400 customers in the sprawling Lake Ridge Estates area northwest of the Del Rio city limits.
Whaley said he began receiving calls about a problem in the water system on March 8.
“Saturday, March 8, we received a report that some users had low water pressure, and normally, on the weekends, low water pressure means that someone has dug into a water line, and this time of the year, it could be a lot of people washing their vehicles,” Whaley said.
Those weren’t the reasons for the March 8 complaints, though.
Whaley said when problems are reported on the water system, his first stop is the water plant, located on a lot at Lenawee and Kenwood Avenues. It is the site of the system’s 125,000-gallon water storage tank, two pressure tanks and related infrastructure, including a chlorination system.
“Everything starts there at the plant, and when I went there, I saw water bubbling up out of the ground, so I know, hey, there’s a leak, and we’ve got to fix the leak,” Whaley said.
Whaley emphasized there was no break in the water line. He explained the line was on top of a rock, and the rock had to be removed so the line could be clamped.
“It cracked the pipe,” Whaley said.
Whaley said after he repaired the line Saturday afternoon, he continued getting calls from residents about low water pressure problems.
Whaley said then he began getting calls about “black water” coming from faucets and being seen in toilet bowls and reports of sediment in the water.
Whaley said the sediment issue has been more difficult to solve than the low water problem, noting sediment has been reported from different areas of the subdivision. He said he has taken steps to flush certain areas of the water lines, including a hydrant along U.S. Highway 90 at one of the entrances to Lake Ridge.
He noted that he has had fewer and fewer calls in the past two days.
Whaley said he has also taken several water samples: raw water from the well, one from the far end of the system and two from an area where “black water” had been reported.
“The results have not come back in writing, but I did talk to the lab, and if they would have been dirty – with E. coli or total coliforms – they would have called and let me know,” Whaley said.
Whaley said the boil water notices were posted at the water plant and at the various entrances to the subdivision. Several copies of the notice were posted on the mailboxes for the area, and the notice was also posted digitally on the bulletin board of the water system’s website, which customers use to pay their bills.
Whaley provided The 830 Times with an updated notice that had been provided to Lake Ridge Water System customers on Friday.
The notice reads, in part, “At this time, we are awaiting the results of water quality samples, which are essential in determining when it will be safe to lift the boil water notice. We will share these results with you once they are available.
“We understand the inconvenience and frustration this may cause, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and cooperation. The health and safety of our community is our top priority, and we are working diligently to resolve this issue. Our team is committed to keeping you informed every step of the way,” the notice reads.
Reach the writer at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
