North Texas Water District Reponds To Erin Brockovich's Quality Concerns
PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) - Plano city leaders are expected to get an update on Tuesday regarding the city's tap water. This comes less than a week after a famous environmental activist took to Facebook to express concerns with the water that North Texans were drinking.
Erin Brockovich criticized the water quality in dozens of North Texas cities including Plano, Frisco and Richardson. She stated that chloramine is being used to disinfect the North Texas Municipal Water District's supply. Chloramine is a mix of chlorine and ammonia.
Brockovich called chloramine a "cheap, dirty trick" which "actually forms toxins 1,000 time[s] more dangerous."
The North Texas Municipal Water District has responded to the criticism. Officials said that the water is safe, and will provide an update on water quality and testing at a Plano City Council meeting on Tuesday evening. "We have taken pride in the water quality that we produce," said Mike Rickman with the North Texas Municipal Water District.
According to the water district, 45 percent of the U.S. population gets tap water treated with chloramine. The Environmental Protection Agency says that chloramine has been "used by water utilities since the 1930s" and that it is "safe to use" as long as it meets regulatory standards.
"The foremost thing that we look at is producing high-quality water," explained Rickman. "We're constantly, every day, testing water to make sure that it is fit for human consumption, that it meets all those regulatory standards." Plano also performs its own independent water testing as well.
"Right now, we're not seeing anything wrong with it," said Gerald Cosgrove with the City of Plano.
Still, some residents in Plano are not taking any chances. "We've gone back to only bottled water," said Christy Brown, "which is more expensive and less convenient."