Residents asked to conserve water

FREEPORT, TX (KTRK) -- The Brazos Water Authority is asking residents in Freeport and its surrounding area to conserve water after a chemical was sprayed too close to the region's water supply.

Dow officials say while emloyees were spraying a common aquatic herbicide in the Dow freshwater canal on Monday, the Brazosport Water Authority's intake area also was accidentally sprayed.

"While this product is approved for use in populated areas and waterways, the BWA intake area is usually avoided as an extra precautionary measure. Dow informed the BWA immediately," Dow officials said in a prepared statement.

As a result, officials with the Brazosport Water Authority temporarily shut down the water plant until officials can run tests on the water to see if it has been affected by the chemical.

The water authority says it is tapping into its two million gallons of reserve water for the time being, so it would like for residents to conserve water until further notice.

"We'll be in good shape. Hopefully the tests will come back and the impact to the water supply from BWA will be resolved in short order and we can get to normal operations. But until then we're asking our citizens to refrain from unnecessary water usage," Freeport City Manager Jeff Pynes said.

Dow conducts spraying annually as a standard practice to manage water hyacinth in its canals to ensure continued water flow to Dow and BWA.

BWA provides high quality drinking water to these cities, companies, and agencies

• Angleton, Texas
• Brazoria, Texas
• Clute, Texas
• Freeport, Texas
• Lake Jackson, Texas
• Oyster Creek, Texas
• Richwood, Texas
• Dow Chemical (potable only)
• TDCJ Clemens Unit
• TDCJ Wayne Scott Unit

The affected communities are hoping to get word today if they can resume normal water usage.

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