The high nitrite levels in Commerce are also affecting water supply in Northeast Hunt county and Western Delta county.
The West Delta Water Supply Corporation has issued a mandatory public notice regarding the public water supply, required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has notified the WEST DELTA WSC water system that the drinking water being supplied to customers had exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for nitrite. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has established the MCL for nitrite at 1 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and has determined that it is a health concern at levels above the MCL. Analysis of drinking water at the City of Commerce, who provides water to your community, indicates a nitrite level of 1.74 mg/L for EP001. Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrite in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome. If your child is under the age of six months, the child must be given an alternative water supply for any consumption. Boiling the affected water is not an effective treatment for nitrite removal. Most consumers do not need to use an alternate water supply. However, if you have health concerns, you may want to talk to your doctor to get more information about how this may affect you. At this time, the health effects to fetuses of pregnant women is unclear. If you are pregnant, you may also choose to use an alternative source of water for drinking and cooking purposes. We are taking the following actions to address this issue: Testing, monitoring, and flushing of affected area. Please share this information with all people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (i.e., people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. If you have questions regarding this matter, you may contact Tim Martin at 903-886-7117.
Children under 5 months of age are strongly urged to not be given this water. Nitrification of the water supply is known to lead to blue baby syndrome.
Pregnant women are urged to avoid the water supply as well.
