‘It’s not harmful’: Officials adamant Salado water is safe to drink amid growing frustration

SALADO, Texas (KWTX) – Frustrated Salado residents are demanding answers after nearly two months of water with a rusty color and a rotten egg smell.

Pretty much every Salado resident west of I-35 is experiencing issues with their water right now, and they tell KWTX they’re tired of it.

“I’ve lived here for 35 years. I’ve never seen the water do what it’s doing now,” said Salado resident Tasha Decker.

According to Ricky Preston with the Salado Water Supply, the city buys water pretreated from the Central Texas and Kempner Water Supply Corporation, who both have treatment plants on Stillhouse Hollow Lake.

Back in June, severe flooding caused the lake to fill with all kinds of debris and sediment, and according to Preston, that “created a really bad quality of water.”

Bruce Sorenson with the Kempner Water Supply says as it got hotter, a mineral known as manganese began to rise and mixed with the water.

“It’s in the lake, it’s in the soil. It’s just a common mineral and there’s a lot of it in the water right now,” Sorenson explained.

Currently, the mineral level is twice as high as it should be, which is what’s causing the local water to look rusty. According to Lee Kelley with Central Texas Water Supply, manganese makes it extremely difficult to eliminate the brownish color.

“We’re doing about 75 percent of the color removal right now,” Kelley said, “It’s just a lot of trouble to get the color out… and it’s not harmful, but it doesn’t look good.”

Employees at both treatment plants say they are doing their best to fix this issue, but they say the water won’t fully return to normal until the lake itself settles.

“We’re pretty sure and confident that the lake will calm down by September. When the lake cools off, it tends to settle,” Sorenson said.

Until then, Preston says he is actively working to get his customers the cleanest water.

“We’ve converted more and more of our customers away from Kempner and over to Central Texas because that product today is better,” Preston said.

Based on TCEQ standards, officials all say the water in Salado is safe to drink. However, Decker and many other residents are questioning that guidance.

“I started watering my dogs and drinking water again. Well, my dogs have been having upset stomachs in the last week, and so have I,” Decker expressed.

Preston, who lives in Salado himself, says he understands their frustration, but that all they can do right now is be patient.

Preston shared that “it’s been tough, it’s been hard, and the reason it is hard is because you don’t have control over it.”

Salado residents who live on the east side of I-35 are supplied through city groundwater, and are not experiencing the same water issues as those on the west side. Preston says that groundwater supply is not capable of supplying all of the city’s needs.