Water ban continues in Corpus Christi after chemical infiltration

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Residents and businesses in a portion of Corpus Christi are on day three of a tap water ban after city officials said a chemical entered the city's water supply, sickening four people.

City officials acknowledged the dirty water Thursday and issued a tap water ban while pipes in the area around the city's industrial corridor could be flushed. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported city officials had fielded three dirty water complaints in the neighborhood dating back to Dec. 1, though water department employees said samples taken after each incident showed no foreign substances.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are investigating how the incident happened. It's believed the chemical Indulin AA-86 entered the water supply from an asphalt plant, creating an oily mix of water and chemicals to come out of water taps.

Four individuals suffered skin and intestinal issues consistent with exposure to Indulin. Some 300,000 people were initially advised not to use the tap water. As water department employees flush pipes and the city's three water towers, some parts of the city have returned to regular use and other parts have been cleared to use water for washing purposes, but not consumption.

Officials said water samples were sent for testing in Houston, though no clear evidence of how the chemicals entered the water supply has been identified, CBS News reported.