WILSON COUNTY, Texas – About a month ago, Carrie Wilcoxson began showing KSAT 12 News reporter Courtney Friedman discolored water in her home that she won’t drink or use.
Wilcoxson is one of many neighbors in the Arrowhead subdivision in Floresville who depend on the local water well that is owned by private company CSWR.
For years, they say their water has been brown or overly-chlorinated and they’ve been asking for answers and relief.
“I’m tired. We should not be monitoring our water the way we are. Asking, ‘What is the commission doing about it? What is the water company doing about it?’ That’s not our responsibility,” Wilcoxson said.
KSAT was able to confirm last week that CSWR removed it’s filtration system in 2021 because it was old.
CSWR replaced it 18 months ago with what’s called a polymer feed system, which adds a solution that pulls minerals out of the water.
However, Wilcoxson said since then, the water quality has gotten worse.
“We know the filtration system worked before because a lot of us have been out here for a while, and we know it worked,” Wilcoxson said.
KSAT sent a list of questions to CSWR about how it’s trying to keep the water clean, and Tuesday the company sent detailed answers.
Courtney Friedman shared their answers with Wilcoxson.
COURTNEY: “So my question was, ‘Why was that sand filtration system not replaced with this same type of robust system? Their answer was that, ‘The original plan was a replacement of the existing sand filter system. While attempting to get the permit, CSWR Texas was informed by TCEQ the permit could not be issued because the plan was not compliant.’ Have you heard that before?”
CARRIE: “No, because only a couple of weeks ago did we learn that the filtration system was actually removed. Why are we just finding out that the commission, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, is the one that didn’t approve it? And we’re not sure why.”
KSAT emailed TCEQ to confirm that it denied CSWR’s permit for the sand filtration system, as well as timelines for current or future flushing or filtration systems.
COURTNEY: “I did ask about the sand filtration systems, ‘Are they more expensive than the polymer feed systems? And they did said, ‘Installing a polymer feed system is less expensive than replacing or refurbishing an aging sand filtration system. CSWR Texas works to identify the best solution at the lowest cost.”
CARRIE: “I’m speechless. This line. What it means to me is we are going to sacrifice, run the risk of our consumers health to include children, our elderly, our people with autoimmune disorders. We’re trying to figure things out but at minimal cost. For who?”
In response to customer complaints and reports by KSAT, CSWR installed automatic flushers on the well that flush the sediment. That’s something Wilcoxson isn’t opposed to, but believes it’s a waste of time and money
COURTNEY:" So they added flashers a couple of weeks ago and have been programing them."
CARRIE: “So that’s fine. But the flushers are not filters. Why are they just not simply putting the money in the energy into helping the water company meet whatever criteria needed to be met, to install the filtration system?”
CSWR told KSAT if the current plan doesn’t work, it will look into other options, but that could take up to a year or more. In the meantime, residents will continue to use bottled water.
COURTNEY: “I asked, ‘Will CSWR reimburse residents for bottled water and other items they’ve had to purchase because they are not able to drink the water? And they said, ‘All customers are able to submit claims. While the company generally does not provide reimbursement for water that’s meeting all health and safety requirements. These claims are reviewed on a case by case basis.”
CARRIE: “That is meeting the requirement? Come drink your damn water. If you’re telling us it’s safe, we have jars and bottles and bathtubs of sediment. You’re welcomed to come and drink it. You’re welcomed to come and drink it when it smells like bleach. You are welcomed to drink it. I would advise otherwise.”
FULL KSAT QUESTIONS AND CSWR RESPONSES:
1. When the aging sand filtration system was removed in 2021, why was it not replaced with the same type of system?
CSWR: Texas’ original plan was a replacement of the existing sand filter system. While attempting to get the permit, CSWR-Texas was informed by TCEQ that the permit could not be issued because the plan wasn’t compliant with TCEQ TAC 30, which governs Public Drinking Water systems. To provide some context, TCEQ approvals are necessary to move forward with “larger scale” system improvements, so this denial meant we had to explore other options for this community.
2. What does the polymer system do?
The polymer system acts to sequester the manganese and iron (which discolor the water). These minerals tend to oxidize when the water is stored for lengths of time. Oxidation, while harmless, is what leads to discoloration. The auto-flushers help to reduce the water age.
3. Why did CSWR choose the polymer system over others?
CSWR-Texas worked with a local third party engineering firm to determine the best solution for this community. There are many reasons why a polymer feed system was chosen for the Arrowhead community. A polymer feed system facilitates coagulation and flocculation, enabling the effective removal of very fine particles, organic matter, and color-causing compounds. These may not be captured efficiently by sand filtration alone. Polymer feed systems are also better equipped to scale up or down based on water demand or contaminant levels.
4. Are sand filtration systems more expensive? What is the price difference?
Installing a polymer feed system is less expensive than replacing or refurbishing an aging sand filtration system. Not only are the upfront capital costs lower, the process often yields reduced operating costs and generally has a longer operational lifespan than sand filters. CSWR-Texas works to identify the best solution at the lowest cost, always striving to balance quality service with cost-efficiency for the benefit of our customers.
5. When did CSWR realize the polymer system wasn’t working well enough, and that other products like flushers needed to be added?
Auto-flushers help to ensure that water doesn’t remain stagnant in the distribution lines. Even with a polymer feed system treating the water, sediments likely settled in the distribution system since the system was first built. The auto-flushers provide an additional solution, but the polymer feed system is fully functional and working to ensure the water meets all health and safety requirements.
6. How long do the flushers take to kick in, to see if they make a difference?
Auto-flushers have the possibility of stirring up settled debris in the short term which may cause a delay in seeing improvements. Generally, the houses nearest to the flushers see the results quickest but other customers may not see a change for two weeks to approximately a month. This is due, in part, to the age of the system. Oftentimes, systems with older pipes have residual sediment that is flushed out gradually.
7. What is the plan if the flushers don’t seem to be making much of a difference?
CSWR-Texas’ operations team and its engineering team plan to monitor the water quality and work closely with TCEQ to ensure that all options are thoroughly explored if the polymer feed system paired with the auto-flushers don’t seem to improve water quality. To provide further context here as well, there are many steps that go into system improvements that take time. CSWR-Texas works with local professional engineers to design system improvements which can take anywhere from two-six months. TCEQ must then approve our plan and our designs to ensure our plan is the best fit for any given community and that we’ll be able to provide safe and reliable service. This can take up to three months. After all of that, the work to actually build/replace can begin.
8. Is installing another, newer sand filtration system an option?
CSWR-Texas is open to all options to ensure that it is providing safe and reliable service to customers. As stated previously, we plan to continue working with the TCEQ to ensure this system is meeting all health and safety standards and we’re working to provide the best possible water quality.
9. Will CSWR reimburse residents for bottled water and other items they’ve had to purchase because they aren’t able to drink the water?
All customers are able to submit claims to CSWR-Texas by submitting the following items to support@cswrtexaswateruoc.com:
- The date range and description of the issue
- Supporting documentation including itemized receipts
While the company generally does not provide reimbursement for water that is meeting all health and safety requirements, these claims are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
10. Is there a plan for better communication with customers who feel they are not being updated or calls/emails returned?
CSWR-Texas has reviewed its call logs for Q4 2024 and notes that seven customers from this community have called and/or requested information. From the customers in question, I note that the average time to conduct the necessary research, send field personnel to investigate the issue, and then contact the customer back via email/phone call is two business days. There have been some instances where a customer has involved local regulatory bodies and the timeline for response extends slightly due to internal processes that must be followed when that situation arises. Outside of direct individual customer interaction, CSWR-Texas plans to send a community update to this community detailing the work done at the community and potential future work to be done. I’ve attached a draft of this communication but ask you do not publish and this is solely a draft and requires review from our Engineering/Operations department. Finally, CSWR-Texas will ensure that when additional information becomes available from its conversations with TCEQ and any additional future plans are finalized, customers will receive such updated information.
11. Is the rise in customer bills fair, considering the water quality has not seemed to improve?
Rate increases for regulated utilities undergo a thorough and months-long audit process by the applicable regulatory bodies to ensure they are necessary to maintain and improve the services we provide. These audits carefully review all aspects of our operations, including costs for infrastructure, maintenance, and compliance with safety standards, to determine the appropriate rates. CSWR-Texas is committed to working to meet both regulatory requirements and the needs of the Arrowhead community.
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