July 29, 2010

Media Release 11/09/2026: PUBLIC NOTICE FOR CUSTOMERS IN SOUTH BRAZOS COUNTY (SOUTH OF GREENS PRAIRIE RD): Unfortunately, due to a sudden unexpected change in source water quality, a sample of the Nitrate level near our Harlan Road Surface Water Treatment Plant tested at 10.4 mg/l, which exceeded the TCEQ’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/l.  Confirmation sampling is being performed now, but in an abundance of caution the TCEQ requires public water systems to send notice of water quality exceedances within 24 hours of receiving the results.  The mandatory notice language is below, please review it carefully and follow any guidelines recommended by TCEQ.  The source which produced the elevated nitrate level has been taken offline until confirmation sampling can be performed.  This issue only affects customers in South Brazos County.  Our other sources of water are not showing any elevated levels of nitrate. There is no risk to most consumers, but children younger than 6 months and pregnant women should use an alternate source of drinking water until the issue is resolved or follow-up testing confirms there is no ongoing issue. The District can provide bottled drinking water to at-risk customers who request it by calling 979-690-9799. Mandatory Language for a Maximum Contaminant Level Violation MCL, SINGLE SAMPLE / NITRATE The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has notified the PWS TX0210016 – WELLBORN SUD public water system that the drinking water being supplied to customers had exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for nitrate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has established the MCL for nitrate to be 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) based on a single sample, and has determined that it is a health concern at levels above the MCL. Analysis of drinking water in your community for nitrate indicates a compliance value in quarter 4 of   2026 of 10.4 mg/L. Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate 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 nitrate removal. Most consumers do not need to use an alternative 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 are 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: This issue appears to have been caused by an unexpected change in water quality coming from one of our sources. The water source which caused the issue has been taken offline temporarily while we find a treatment solution. Confirmation testing is proceeding now. There are no issues with our other sources. 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 General Manager Campbell Young at 979-690-9799. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.

A College Station woman is thankful to be alive after a bullet pierced her bedroom wall. The bullet came through the wall of an adjacent unit of a four-plex home in the 2400 block of Blanco Drive. It then passed through the headboard and the mattress. Arrest records state “it is clear the projectile could have caused serious bodily injury or death if the residents had been in their bed at the time the firearm was discharged.” Thankfully, no one was in the bed at the time. CSPD received the call around 9:00pm Friday night. The caller reported that her neighbor discharged a firearm and that the neighbor had come over to check to see if anyone was injured. Police arrested 28-year-old Charnesha Danielle Byrd and charged her with Reckless Discharge of a Firearm Within a Municipality of 100,000 or More People. Byrd claims she was rummaging through her purse and picked the firearm up with her finger on the trigger. Police seized a Ruger .380 from her purse. Byrd is free on $5,000 bond. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.

A woman and her caretaker were arrested after a shoplifting incident at the Bryan Walmart. Bryan Police Department responded to the Walmart at 2200 Briarcrest Drive around 3:30pm on Friday for reports of a theft in progress. Employees observed a woman concealing items in her purse while another appeared to be serving as her lookout. BPD confirmed via video surveillance that 68-year-old Sandra Jean Lawson placed $116.67 worth of items in her purse as she rode through the store on a scooter. She did not attempt to pay for the items while at the self-checkout. 60-year-old Dawn Anders Recek, who Lawson claims is her caretaker, was shown on video peeking around aisles, assisting Lawson in the theft. The pair were seen checking out near each other and leaving the store together. Lawson and Recek were charged with Theft between $100-$750. Each have been released on $3,000 bond. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.