MARLIN, Texas (KXXV) — The Texas Water Development Board approves $200,000 in redirected funds to address regulatory violations and improve water quality at the treatment plant in Marlin.
- Texas Water Development Board approved Marlin's request to redirect $200,000 in leftover state funds toward water treatment plant upgrades.
- The funding will be used to fix ongoing regulatory violations and water quality issues, including problems with turbidity and disinfectant levels.
- Some residents remain skeptical, saying the upgrades won't be effective until all pipes are replaced and dangerous chemicals are properly removed.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Marlin residents may soon see improvements to their water system after the Texas Water Development Board approved the city's request to redirect remaining funds toward water treatment plant upgrades.
The funding will address ongoing regulatory violations tied to water quality and upgrade the facility. The city plans to use $200,000 in leftover money from a $2.9 million Drinking Water State Revolving Fund project originally approved in 2012.
However, some residents say the changes don't go far enough.
"They are getting the funds, they are just not properly managing the funds," Miguel Vanegas said.
Vanegas, a Marlin resident, expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the planned improvements.
"It's ridiculous that the state would allow them to do what they are doing with the funds to better the water system when in actuality, all these chemicals that cause all the medical issues are still in the pipes," Vanegas said.
Mayor Susan Byrd wrote to the board in November requesting the scope change.
In the letter, she says:
"Recent operational assessments and regulatory feedback from the TCEQ have identified the need for treatment plant upgrades to correct issues with turbidity and to restore consistent disinfectant residuals within the distribution system."
The board's executive administrator recommended approval, noting that while the new use differs from the original plan, both projects share the goal of rehabilitating and improving Marlin's water system.
Still, some neighbors remain skeptical about the proposed solutions.
"Until they replace all the pipes and use special chemicals to remove those dangerous chemicals, putting a new filtration system on the water plant is not going to help anything because the water is unsafe," Vanegas said.
The city of Marlin currently has multiple ongoing projects funded by the Texas Water Development Board.
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