Bridge City is addressing the increased level of contaminates in the city’s water system. The city sent a letter to citizens this past weekend after being notified by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of the contaminates level. Utility Superintendent Mike Lund for Bridge City gave the details of the letter. Lund admitted the city was in violation going over the allowed levels of contaminates. The letter also stated at the current levels that if a citizen drank the water in 15 to 20 years they could have detrimental health conditions.
During the City Council meeting on Tuesday two citizens requested to speak to the council. Michael Nortman and Skipper Nixon had questions for the council about the water, but since state law prohibits the City Council members from responding to comments not on the agenda neither had much to say. Nortman who manages the Sonic Drive-In on Texas Avenue in Bridge City said later his business has its own filters on drink machines and the ice machine, but he commented they are having to change the filters twice as often because of the brown water from the city.
Lund indicated Bridge City is in the process of installing systems that should greatly reduce the level of contaminates in the water. Lund said they are putting in filtration to help lower the chlorine residuals and are in the process of putting aerators in the tanks to help get rid of the contaminates. Lund would not give an expected date for completion of installing the filtration system, but added the city is working hard to get it done in the next two weeks.
Public Hearings will be held as part of the next two City Council meetings in Bridge City. The public hearings were approved by the City Council Tuesday evening, the budget and the proposed tax rate will be the topics for the hearings. The first hearing will be August 16 and the second will be September 6. The City Council is expected to adopt a tax rate of 52 cents per 100 dollars value at its September 20 meeting. City Manager Jerry Jones said the tax rate is a slight increase and the budget will be balanced.
The council followed the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and approved a request from Clint Landry for a zone change of property located on Center Street behind the Market Basket to low density residential. The Drought Contingency Plan was approved by the City Council for another five years as required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
The post BC Still Working on Water Issues appeared first on KOGT.