Corpus Christi Lifts Water Ban After Nearly Four Days

City officials in Corpus Christi, Texas, issued a water ban on Dec. 14, 2016, that

lasted nearly four days, due to possible chemical contamination.

The water ban has since been lifted, after the 28 drinking water samples reviewed

by the Environmental Protection Agency tested negative for Indulin AA-86, which

was the chemical believed to have entered the water supply.

Indulin AA-86 is an asphalt emulsifying agent, deemed hazardous by the OSHA

Hazard Communication Standard. It can potentially cause respiratory issues, eye

and skin burns, allergic reactions, and target organ damage, according to

MeadWestvaco, the company that produces it.

Officials believed that an estimated three to 24 gallons of Indulin AA-86 might have

entered the water supply, as the result of a “backflow incident” at an industrial

complex, reported The Washington Post.

City spokeswoman Kim Womack advised residents not to use public tap water — for

any reason — and to use bottled water instead. Womack emphasized that residents

should not try to treat the water themselves, adding that “boiling, freezing, filtering,

adding chlorine or other disinfectants, or letting the water stand will not make the

water safe.”

Many restaurants and schools in the area closed as a result of the ban.

According to the San Antonio TV news station KSAT, this is the fourth water

advisory in Corpus Christi since 2015.