Bloomington Water Board was cited for arsenic violations, well mismanagement and water supply deficiencies

Throughout 2024 and 2023, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lead multiple investigations into the Victoria County Water and Control Improvement District No. 1, commonly known as the Bloomington Water Board.

These investigations led to the Bloomington Water Board receiving multiple violation notices. One of the violations the water board received came due to the level of arsenic in Bloomington’s water supplied to its customers.

In February 2023, the Bloomington Water Board received a letter from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stating it had violated the maximum contaminant level for arsenic supplied to its customers. The maximum contaminant level for arsenic in a community’s water supply that is accepted by The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is 0.010 milligrams per liter.

During these investigations, the amount of arsenic in the Bloomington water supply measured 0.011 milligrams per liter. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stated the amount was not an emergency.

Some people who drink water containing an excess of 0.010 milligrams per liter over a period of many years could experience skin damage, problems with their circulatory system and may have an increased risk of cancer, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The TCEQ required the Bloomington Water Board to issue a notice of the violation to its customers no later than 30 days after the violation was identified. The water board was required to repeat the notice every three months for as long as the violation persisted.

In February and July of 2023 as well as in January 2024, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality sent notifications to the Bloomington Water Board regarding the violation of the maximum contaminant level of arsenic in its water supply.

The investigation found the Bloomington Water Board violated the maximum level of arsenic contaminants in its water supply in the first, second and fourth quarters of 2023.

The Bloomington Water Board could not be reached directly for comment, but issued a statement recently regarding Bloomington residents’ concerns over discolored tap water. The Bloomington Water Board says it has made necessary corrections to meet standards set for by the TCEQ.

“We take this matter very seriously and want to assure you that the water supply is closely monitored to ensure its safety and quality," the statement read. "We are pleased to report that all recent water samples have met regulatory standards, and the water continues to be safe for drinking and all household uses. The water quality is under constant surveillance through rigorous testing protocols. Our teams are currently conducting daily system flushing to remove any potential pockets of discolored water.”

Water Wells

On June 21, 2024, the Bloomington Water Board received a notice of a violation from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for failing to notify them prior to making significant changes to the water systems production capacities and failing to have two or more wells.

On April 22, 2024, an investigation was conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which found the Bloomington Water Board failed to notify the commission prior to drilling a new well.

At the time of the investigation, the Victoria County Water and Control Improvement District No. 1 consisted of one water well known as Water Well No. 4. The well is equipped with a submersible pump. The well discharges to a 0.3-million-gallon (MG) ground storage tank (GST).

Water is provided for distribution via three service pumps (475 gpm each). An elevated storage tank (EST) floats on the system (0.1 MG). Polyphosphate (used to sequester iron and manganese) and gaseous chlorine are injected prior to storage.

The Bloomington Water Board plugged Well No. 5 in the spring of 2023 and the arsenic filtration system was disconnected. The board then began drilling a new well called Well No. 6, but the board failed to notify the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about making significant changes to the water system production capacities.

Due to the Bloomington Water Board’s failure to notify the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about the new well, construction was delayed until it received approval. At the time of the investigation, there was only one well, Well No. 4, providing water to the district.

In addition, during an investigation conducted on Sept.11, 2024, it was determined that the water system in Bloomington has a total of 1,163 connections (698 residential connections, 14 master meters with a total of 447 connections, and 18 wholesale connections). Based on this information, the water system is required to supply 605 gpm of water. At the time of the investigation, they were only providing 460 gpm of water; a 24% deficiency.

At the time of the investigation the property that Well No. 6 is located on was owned by Emerald City Investments. a. A water facilities agreement between Emerald City Investments and the water board, was presented to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality by the water board.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the water board to address the following concerns:

a. The property deed is described as an “unofficial document”. Please provide an official recorded property deed.

b. The agreement provides for only a one-year term which terminates if not renewed. The agreement contains a number of terms that seem unfavorable to the district like no sanitary control over the site.

c. The agreement and ownership situation requires one of these possible actions:

i. A long-term lease agreement (40 or 50 years) for the well and site to the

District with resolution of sanitary control issues.

ii. Emerald City could become a public water system and enter into a water

supply agreement with the District. In such case Emerald City Investments would be legally responsible for maintaining the well according to TCEQ requirements.

iii. The District could purchase the well and site from Emerald City Investments.

Richard Richter, a representative for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, said Well No. 6 was approved on Oct. 17, 2024.

“The well was approved contingent upon certain conditions, including providing documentation of a sanitary control easement and additional sampling based on the addition of the new water source,” Richter said. “TCEQ currently has one open investigation for the district’s public water system. The file record review is being conducted to evaluate the compliance status of the outstanding alleged violations documented during a previous investigation.”

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said it has not encountered any documented evidence of any Bloomington resident that has come down ill from consuming the water, Richter said.

During the investigation conducted on Sept. 11, 2024, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found water lines were running through and adjacent to a lake behind a splash pad at 402 Black Bayou Rd. No. 1. There also appeared to be an open PVC pipe to refill the lake, which could potentially contaminate drinking water if inundated with rain or flood waters.

The investigation also found the water board failed to flush dead-end lines and other mains in order to maintain water quality throughout the distribution system.