Tap water ban lifted in Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- All residents of Corpus Christi can now use tap water after state and federal agencies allowed the city to lift the restrictions Sunday.

A total of 28 water samples were tested and none were positive for unacceptable levels of Indulin AA-86, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality confirmed.

Water-use restrictions were imposed Wednesday for approximately 300,000 residents because of the possible water contamination.

One section was cleared to begin using the water Friday and the other two areas got the green light Sunday.

"The available information on Indulin AA-86 suggests that there is not a concern for long term persistence of the substance in aquatic systems, nor is there a concern for bioaccumulation up the food chain," the TCEQ said in a statement. "Thus, we do not believe there's any risk in consuming seafood from the local estuaries that may be receiving water that is discharged into the estuary from the flushing out of the drinking water system."

Indulin AA-86, an asphalt emulsifier, apparently got into the water system through "a third party," Mayor Dan McQueen said.

A news release from the city said three to 24 gallons of the emulsifier possibly entered the city's water after an incident in the Corpus Christi industrial district.

McQueen said the city received three dirty water reports in December from an unidentified company.

Seven reports of health symptoms related to use of water have not been confirmed, the state agency said in a news release.

The EPA and TCEQ toxicologists established a health-based action level of 2.6 mg/l for Indulin AA-86 in drinking water. Tests using a new liquid chromatography/mass spectrograph were at 0.05 mg/l and gas chromatography/mass spectrograph detected 0.25/l mg in drinking water.

The TCEQ and EPA will continue to test samples from Corpus Christi over the next few days.

The city recommends flushing each tap in the house for 2-3 minutes to clear any water lines and replacing filters at their discretion, the city said in a release.

On Sunday, the city began closing city's centers to distribute bottled water.