City water failed some recent tests, but mayor says it's safe to drink
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A notice over the city's drinking water supply is coming out of city hall after a key disinfectant has fallen below state standards.
Mayor Sylvester Turner is stressing that the water is safe and that only a small portion of the system failed to meet state requirements.
"Let me emphasize there is no need for alarm. There is no need to believe your drinking water is unsafe. There is no need to treat or boil water before drinking. In fact, you don't need to do anything," Mayor Sylvester Turner said.
The state requires that 95 percent of tests on water systems come back with a residual chlorine level of .5 milligrams per liter.
In October, November and December, some of the city's test locations showed that levels were below .5 milligrams per liter.
This information is vital because chlorine is a disinfectant added to public water supplies to kill disease-causing pathogens like bacteria and viruses that grow on water mains and storage tanks.
The number of tests that failed was very low.
In October, 34 tests out of more than 400 did not meet required levels. In November it was 50 tests and December it was around 30.
Most of the tests that failed state standards were in the northwest corridor along Highway 290 where construction is happening.
The city is required to report the numbers to the state and the state requires the information be passed along to customers.
