Pauls Valley Residents Concerned Over Drinking Water

A large number of Pauls Valley residents have complained to News 9 because they say their tap water tastes awful. And I have to admit, I went to a resident's home Tuesday afternoon and tried it. It does have a dirty nasty aftertaste.

However, City Manager James Frizell says the water is safe to drink. He says the culprit is the severe drought two years ago dropped the water level at Longmire Lake 13 feet.

Longmire is where the city gets most of its water supply. He says where water once covered the lake, plant life grew. He says when the lake eventually filled back up, that plant life died off and decomposed.

That's what caused "the earthy taste," he said.

Frizell says the good news is the taste of the water should be back to normal in "the next couple of weeks."

Britteny Hutchins is a Pauls Valley resident. She said, "I've actually been told by college professors that tap water is actually better than drinking bottled water."

"What about this drinking water," I asked.

"It's disgusting. I hate the smell of it," She said.

Managers of local restaurants also told me Tuesday they've gotten numerous complaints in recent weeks about the drinking water.