Low-quality tap water prevalent in San Angelo

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Many residents of San Angelo have recently complained of tap water turning brown, tasting metallic and smelling like sewage.

On Sunday, the City of San Angelo Public Information Facebook group released a statement in regards to the low-quality tap water:

You may have noticed a slight change in the aesthetics, taste and odor of your tap water this week. The issue appears to be with the current source water, O.H. Ivie. Occasionally, and especially during very hot sunny conditions, the quality of O.H. Ivie water lessens, mostly due to the degradation of algae and organic material present in the lake. This should be a temporary condition and should clear in the upcoming days. Additional hydrant flushing has been initiated to expedite the clearing of water currently in the distribution system. The water treatment plant continues to monitor the quality of the water and ensures it is always safe to drink and meets or exceeds Public Drinking Water Standards.

Residents of San Angelo responded angrily to the statement, with some of them saying that the tap water has made them sick or that they would not even feed the tap water to their pets.

The San Angelo YMCA has avoided complaints about the nasty tap water because of their water filtration system.

Jordan Reynolds, the Facility Director at the San Angelo YMCA, said that one water fountain near the gym is not filtered, so he encourages patrons to bring bottled water.

Reynolds said that due to the poor condition of the tap water in San Angelo, even at his home, he drinks bottled water.

"My house in particular had kind of a smell and a change in the water, we drink bottled [water]," said Reynolds.

Tymn Combest of the San Angelo Water Treatment Plant said that the water quality in San Angelo has always been an issue.

The San Angelo Water Treatment Plant was built in the 1920's and their department receives just enough funding to pass state regulations, with no extra money to deal with odor or taste.

However, Combest said that the most recent issue with the tap water in San Angelo is due to the organics in Lake O.H. Ivie degrading.

"The water now is a lot more cloudy, it's probably largely due to algae and I think because algae also causes the taste and odor," Combest said.

Combest said that he expects the tap water's quality to go back to normal in about a week or two.