Skin-Burning Chemical Contaminates Texas Water System

Officials in Corpus Christi, TX, told residents to completely stop using tap water last month after a dangerous chemical made its way into the water system.

“Officials sent out an alert [on December 14] night telling the city’s 320,000 residents not to drink, bathe or prepare food with tap water after an accident in Corpus Christi’s industrial district caused an asphalt emulsifier to seep into water supplies. By [the following] night, the warning had been lifted in at least three neighborhoods but remained in effect for the majority of the city, including its commercial and residential hubs,” The Washington Post reported.

Water restrictions were lifted December 18, according to CNN. “The announcement came after 28 water samples were tested and none came back positive for unacceptable levels of [contaminants],” the report said, citing state regulators. The water emergency caused schools and businesses to close and interrupted sporting and holiday events, reports said.

The city recommended that residents run “each tap in the house for 2 to 3 minutes to clear any water lines and replacing filters, at your discretion,” according to a press release.

The contaminant in question is Indulin AA-86, according to BBC News. It can burn human skin. “A backflow incident at an industrial complex caused an estimated three to 24 gallons of [the] petroleum-based chemical ... to enter the water supply,” the report said, citing city leaders.

Officials say between three and 24 gallons of the chemical contaminated the water system, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

The cause of the contamination, per the Caller-Times:

City officials ... pinned responsibility for the contamination on Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions, Inc. Valero issued a statement earlier in the day stating the contamination had been caused by a “localized backflow issue from third party operations in the area of Valero’s asphalt terminal.”

Corpus Christi is in the process of looking for a new water director. The opening has been posted since August, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported. “The hire is among the top staffing priorities, city officials have said. The position was created following the city's third water boil in May,” the report said.

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