Tap water tests for MUD 60 not back yet
Agency officials express frustration
The latest tests of the tap water provided by Municipal Utility District 60, which has been closely monitored for several months, are still not back from the state yet with the general manager of The Woodlands Joint Power Agency acknowledging he’s a “little frustrated” by the delay.
Jim Stinson, general manager of the agency, said on Tuesday that officials with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality still do not have the sample results from a certified lab that has performed the latest tests.
The current samples that Stinson, the water agency and local residents are waiting on were taken in early November, with the reports previously expected to be back by the end of November.
“I’m a little frustrated,” Stinson said. “This is longer than usual.”
Now, Stinson says he expects another week to go by before the state provides the test results. He expects to be able to finally release those results by Dec. 7. Previously Stinson had told The Woodlands Township Board of Directors that he expected to be able to report to the board that “everything was in compliance” when the tests were in.
The joint power agency manages MUD 60, as well as a number of other MUDs that serve The Woodlands. MUD 60 includes the area south of Woodlands Parkway from Gosling Road west to just past Kuykendahl Road. The MUD 60 territory also extends north a slight distance along the east side of Kuykendahl Road.
MUD 60’s water has been under scrutiny since June when earlier tests by the TCEQ showed that some of water samples tested exceeded the maximum level of what’s called total trihalomethanes.
The chemicals are a group of chemicals that form when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control contaminants in drinking water react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in water. The excessive level of the total trihalomethanes prompted the state to send out a letter to local residents warning them that those tests had indicated the water exceeded the maximum contaminant level for trihalomethanes.
The TCEQ and the federal Environmental Protection Agency say some people who drink water with trihalomethanes in excess of the maximum level over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. Still, state and federal regulators have said there is no need to find an alternative water source when drinking water is found to have the higher levels. Instead, the TCEQ requires more frequent flushing of water lines, while the WPJA also moved to adjust chlorine levels.