KEMPNER, Texas — The Kempner City Council et Tuesday night, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. to hear from the public about the city's "water quality and reliability".
For months, residents have been sounding the alarm, telling 6 News about the city's brown water and ongoing boil-water notice.
The Kempner Water Supply Corporation (KWSC) provides water for Kempner, Brooks Crossing, Shortall, Topsey, Oakalla, Adamsville and parts of Copperas Cove and Lampasas, according to their website. The rate for their water services starts with a base of $75 per month.
The information on the KWSC website about water quality can be found on the "Water Quality Report" page. The page starts with the headline "Your water is safe to drink". That sentiment is repeated two more times on the page before showing the 2023 water quality report generated by KWSC General Manager Brice Sorenson. There is no report available for any part of the 2024 year.
KWSC's lab results from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality can be found here, or on KWSC's website.
The latest boil water notice announced by KWSC was Aug. 14. The notice has yet to be rescinded. The website encourages everyone using KWSC to boil their water, including water used for drinking, or purchase bottled water. They were ordered to release the boil water notice "due to difficulty in maintaining chlorine residuals", according to their website.
Sorenson shared he's skipping the meeting because the company is not affiliated with the City of Kempner, according to an email he sent to the mayor of Kempner.
State Representatives David Spiller, member of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Advisory Committee, and Brad Buckley attended Tuesday's meeting and explained how the corporation has the option of applying for federal grants to help fix water quality.
"My concern is the money and their ability," Spiller explained. "Funding for what you need is there, but someone has to fill out the application."
Spiller explained that while the KWSC is eligible for federal funding, majority of the federal grants cannot be applied for until 2025.
"These issues have been bubbling up on and off every year," Buckley explained. "It's a good time to move forward on these projects."
Below is a map of the Kempner Water Supply Corporation Service Area:
Sorenson encourages people to attend the KWSC board meeting Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at 11896 US-190, Kempner, TX 76539.
That's where their concerns and suggestions can be directly heard from the corporation.