KILLEEN, Texas — Low chlorine levels in the city’s water supply forced Killeen to issue a city-wide boil water notice Tuesday evening
It’s a problem the city is working with the supplier and state officials to fix.
Since the City of Killeen issued a boil water notice due to low chlorine levels, residents like Danny butler are paying attention.
”Well, we try to boil water and just do what we have to do to stay healthy and clean and try to stay away from the city water.” said Danny Butler, Killeen Resident.
The City now knows the problem started at the source, according to the Water Control and Improvement District.
”We don’t ever chlorinate the water," said Jose Segarra, Mayor of Killeen."It comes directly from WCID. A lot of people think, oh the city messed up. No, it comes that way from the plant.”
WCID doesn’t only supply water to Killeen...there is also Harker Heights and Copperas cove who met with WCID and a team with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to discuss changes to treatment.
It was determined that a change from the prior chlorine and ammonia treatment to a chlorine-only treatment for the water supply was needed and has begun.
”The further that water has to travel, the more risk to lose some of that chlorination. So, I think that the way they're doing it with mixing the chemicals with just pure chlorine, from my understanding, it’s a better way to treat it.” said Mayor Segarra.
The change isn’t going to happen overnight though, the city will be flushing out the system for the next 30-days until the newly treated water is the only water in the system.
”They’ve been flushing out systems over by the airport and they’re going to be flushing out other areas. They’re going to be working 24/7. So, you’re going to see a lot of water coming out on the street,” said Mayor Segarra.
While the city works to clean up the water supply, Danny Butler said he’ll be patient and keep boiling his
”We just have to wait and see you know. Do what we can on our end and see what they tell us afterward and rely on what they tell us.” said Butler.
The city says they will work around the clock to flush the water system but they say the boil water notice won’t be lifted until the middle of next week, at the earliest.
