CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Residents in the town of Tynan, Texas, have been advised to boil their water before consumption as officials there seek emergency grants to pay for a new water filtration system.
The issue is sand and grit getting into the water supply, which can be bad for various home appliances. The water boil advisory was sent out last Wednesday.
In the meantime, officials in Tynan are looking for a long term solution to the issue.
Tynan resident Carlos Sola left his home in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria damaged the island's power grid and water supply. He told 3NEWS he moved to Texas to escape those problems -- or so he thought.
In February of 2021, Texas experienced a power grid disaster. Now, in his hometown of Tynan, there's a water boil advisory.
"What they told us is that we have to boil the water before any kind of consumption," Sola said.
Sola said it's disappointing to come home after a long day of work and then have to boil his water to be able to use it. He filled a clear glass with tap water to show 3NEWS how it looked -- it looked perfectly fine.
"It's not like it's contaminated with lead or something that would have those adverse effects," said Steve Chaney, President of the Tynan Water Supply Corporation Board. "What you have is small grit and sand. It eats the plastic pumps on the washing machines, the dishwashers and all, and people are frustrated."
Chaney said Tynan's water well system is 25 years old. A filter to keep sand out of the system needs to be replaced, but that will cost thousands of dollars.
"We brought a sand expert in and looked and with the intervention of a, for lack of a better word, 'filter' -- they call them hydroclones -- we feel like we can remove and buy some more time until all of this comes to fruition," Chaney said.
The Water Board members had a conference call with one of its financial advisors. While the plan is to eventually drill a new well, that could cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000. The board is also working on getting a grant to cover that. In the meantime, it is going to cost thousands of dollars for a new filtration system.
Officials are also worried about the possibility that another three feet of sand could end up once again in the city's water storage tank, causing the water to be shut off until it can get cleaned out again.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- New Carroll High School missing school zones along Saratoga Boulevard
- 'Bad decision': Corpus Christi attorney arrested for human smuggling says he gave ride to hitchhikers
- CCISD works to control increase of fire ants being seen, felt on school grounds because of recent rain
- 'We must restore public confidence' | Safety, transparency among concerns from area leaders on Harbor Bridge Project
- CCISD gets a 'B' in Texas Education Agency's 2022 accountability ratings
Want to send us a news tip?
Put your name and contact information below so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
If you do not have a photo/video to submit, just click "OK" to skip that prompt.