Customers of the Wellborn Special Utility District who live south of Greens Prairie Road are being told that one water sample came back above the state's limit for nitrate, and that pregnant women and babies younger than 6 months should drink water from another source for now.
In a notice posted Monday, the district said a sample taken near its Harlan Road Surface Water Treatment Plant measured 10.4 milligrams of nitrate per liter. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality caps nitrate in drinking water at 10 mg/L, a limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The district blamed a sudden change in the quality of the water coming from one of its sources. That source has been shut off while crews take confirmation samples, according to the notice, and the district's other sources are not showing high nitrate levels. Only customers in the southern part of Brazos County are affected, the district said.
Who should take precautions
The district said most customers face no risk. Its guidance is aimed at two groups:
- Infants under 6 months. State-required language in the notice warns that babies who drink water with nitrate above the limit could become seriously ill, with symptoms such as trouble breathing and blue baby syndrome, and could die if not treated. Babies that young should get all of their water from another supply.
- Pregnant women. The notice says effects on a fetus are not clear and that pregnant women may choose other water for drinking and cooking.
Boiling tap water does not remove nitrate, the notice says.
