KINGWOOD, Texas – The city of Houston said the water in Kingwood is safe to drink, cook with and bathe in, but residents still aren't satisfied.
Twenty years of breast cancer is already hard enough for Ann Lee.
"I'm on active treatment right now. It's spread to the liver and the lungs, and I have to be very careful, you know, what I ingest," Lee said.
But when water jeopardizes Lee's life, that's a whole different ballgame.
"Any kind of bacteria can put me in the hospital or worse," Lee said.
"The discolored water was due to the relocation of a fire hydrant under the West Lake Houston widening project. Crews flushed the lines, and we have tested the water, and it is in full compliance, meeting all federal and state standards," said Alvin Wright, with city of Houston's Public Works, in a written statement.
On Wednesday, Lee's water looked clear.
"When it's clear, you don't know that it's still good water. You don't know what's in that clear water," Lee said.
Chanel 2 contacted GeniSoft, a local water filtration company to test Lee's water, first for hardness, which can dry out your skin and hair.
"So there you have blue. So your water is considered hard water. It is equal to seven grains per gallon of hardness," said Christopher Millard, with GeniSoft. Millard used a stabilizing agent and an indicator dye to get the result.
For comparison, one grain per gallon of hardness would be considered soft water, Millard said.
Next, GeniSoft tested for chlorine, which came out to two parts per million.
"That's equal to double to what you'd need for a swimming pool chemical level," Millard said, referring to the chlorine.
Although Millard said he wouldn't drink it, the level of chlorine accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency is four parts per million, so Lee's water is in the clear. Millard said he could not test for copper or any other type of harmful chemical. ;GeniSoft said it would do a more extensive test at a lab in Ohio.
Despite the test from the city and GeniSoft, Lee is still uneasy about using her water.
"I've got a daughter, when she brushes her teeth, I've got a big bottle of water, and she uses that, because we're fearful of it," Lee said.
After hearing Lee's story, GeniSoft offered to foot the bill to install a reverse osmosis water filtration system in her home. The normal cost of that procedure is nearly $900.
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin will host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 23 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Kingwood Community Center located at 4102 Rustic Woods Drive. There, city officials plan to update residents on developments going on in the Kingwood area. Residents are welcome to attend to discuss any concerns they have.
Residents, including cancer patient, concerned with discolored water in Kingwood
2016 Click2Houston/KPRC2