Cleburne won a legal round on Friday in its fight against a company which spreads treated human waste that the mayor says threatens the city’s water supply.
"It's a very strong concern we have that our water could be contaminated,” Mayor Scott Cain said.
Johnson County District Judge John Neill issued a temporary order instructing the company, Harrington Environmental Services of Joshua, not to violate environmental regulations.
Cain said the waste ultimately flows into Lake Pat Cleburne – the water source for the city of 30,000.
Tests have shown the city's water is safe, but Cain wants to keep it that way.
The company's owner, Lord Harrington, insisted he already is following state laws.
"We continue to operate as before,” Harrington said. “Nothing has changed."
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The mayor said the city also is battling the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which gave Harrington a permit a few years ago.
"TCEQ is supposed to protect Texas' right to its environment and they haven't done it in this case,” Cain said.
Harrington defended the company’s record. “Our compliance is perfect,” he said.
A trial on the dispute is set for December 2019.
TCEQ spokesman Brian McGovern declined comment because of the pending lawsuit and referred questions to the Texas Attorney General.
A spokeswoman for that office, Kayleigh Lovvorn, also declined comment.
