Do Not Use Water Notice Still in Effect Southeast of Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality continues to work to resolve the do not use the water order for over 500 customers of the Craft-Turney Water Supply Corporation in Cherokee County. The order was issued for an area southeast of Jacksonville when a contaminant was found in the water. The TCEQ collected water samples last Thursday. Five of these samples indicated the low-level presence of one of the chemicals found in the fungicide that was suspected of entering the water supply. The water supply company has been continuously flushing the system to remove any contaminants. The state agency and the supplier have also worked with the customers served by the 11 connections to flush their homes. Sunday, additional samples were collected to check for any contaminants.

The supplier is implementing a flushing plan for customers in the area. Customers are being asked to visit http://www.ctwscorp.com/Flushing%20Notification.pdf for instructions on how to flush their homes. The do not use order will remain in place until the water system has been adequately flushed and samples indicate that the water is safe to use. It is not known at this time how long this may take.

The TCEQ has also coordinated with the Texas Department of State Health Services, which has available to take calls regarding health concerns. Impacted residents can call Dr. Sharon Huff in the local DSHS Public Health Office at 903-595-3585 during regular business hours Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, or they can reach the Texas Poison Center Network 24 hours per day at 1-800-222-1222. Residents may also contact TCEQ’s Tyler office at 903-535-5100 if they have any questions related to this incident.