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Bastrop Residents Complain About Brown Drinking Water


Un-drinkable drinking water; residents in Bastrop are frustrated over a reoccurring problem of brown browns.

The city says the water is tested every day and is safe to drink, but residents in some Bastrop neighborhoods say there is no way they will drink the city water.

"Sometimes when I come home and turn on the faucet, it might be clear at first, but then I see it turning brown," said Bastrop resident Jenoah Kirk. "And I just get so angry and upset that it's happening again."

For two and a half years Jenoah Kirk hasn’t been sure what he’ll get when he turns on his faucet.

"I'm very frustrated, very frustrated," he said.

Some days, the water looks fine.  Other days, like in a video Kirk took on December 30, the water is brown and murky.

"My main concern is health," said Kirk. "This is supposed to be drinking quality water and the water is not fit to drink. It has sentiment in it, it's brown, I don't trust it. I should be able to drink the water from my tap, that's what I'm paying for, that's what I'm trusting the city with."

Kirk says when he's complained to the city, they've come out and flushed the pipes.  But it's just a temporary fix that never lasts long.

"I would like to see the city do something to make sure the water is safe, with no sentiment in it," said Kirk. "Whatever is causing this problem, to have it fixed, because I believe our health is at stake."

We took the concerns to the city manager, Michael Talbot, who assured us he’s aware of the problem.

"I’m disturbed that this is happening," said Talbot. "And we're trying to take steps to clear it up, because I don’t want our citizens to have dirty water. We’re going to get this problem resolved."

Talbot says a new storage tank and two new wells are in the works; infrastructure that he believes will finally correct the problem for residents like Jenoah Kirk.

"We want our water clean. We pay for that and we expect to have clean water," said Kirk exasperated. 

The city manager says the water often turns brown when there is a surge on system, like if firefights are using a lot of water to put out a fire.  He says it could happen in any neighborhood in the city.

The new infrastructure changes should be completed by May.  If residents are having a problem with dirty water, the city manager is asking residents to report the problem immediately to the city.

By Karen Kiley