Some North Texans are turning to bottled water because they say the water coming out of their faucets smells and tastes bad. A few residents in Highland Village say the water even feels different. NBC 5’s Alicia Barrera talked with homeowners and city officials about what’s going on.
The city of Highland Village is kicking off its spring cleaning for its water system. According to city officials, the disinfection conversion of its water is aimed to increase conservation ahead of peak demand.
“We had to do a lot of water flushing in the summer months when it's peak demand,” Scott Kriston said. Kriston is the director of public works for the city.
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WATCH HERE“So, it is a common practice among municipalities to do a water conversion in the springtime.”
Residents recall last year’s water disinfection period.
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SIGN UP “Last year, there was a significant change in the water aesthetics. It was a pretty unsavory time to be drinking from the sink,” Lauren Flores said.
Flores and her family moved to Highland Village four years ago.
“We were definitely drinking filtered water. But it was just kind of a tough it out. And I don't remember if we were traveling during that time for work, but it just wasn't as prominent as this time.”
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For about a week, Flores said she has smelled, tasted, and felt a huge difference in the water she is used to drinking and cooking with.
“It smells like a chlorinated pool,” Flores said.
While Flores and her neighbors were advised well in advance of the change, she said she initially trusted the water was safe to drink.
“I’m subscribed to our town's monthly newsletter, so it's called the Highland Villager. Probably knew about a month in advance that it was coming,” Flores said.
The city has a detailed webpage that explains the purpose, process, and duration of the water disinfection period.
“The City of Highland Village public water system will temporarily convert the disinfectant used in the distribution system. The conversion from chloramine to free chlorine will begin on March 19 and end on April 9, 2025,” the website reads.
The website also addresses the water’s differences in characteristics.
“Highland Village groundwater is naturally soft, creating a slick feeling on the skin. There may also be a noticeable change in taste or odor,” the city explained on the website.
The city also said the water does not pose a health risk. However, Flores assures she has experienced some side effects.
“It has given me stomach aches. It is definitely giving me a sore throat,” Flores said.
NBC 5 also received emails from other residents in Highland Village.
“Since the changeover, I have had a stomachache finally, it turned into explosive diarrhea and vomiting,” one person said. “I can’t say for sure that this is where it came from.”
“Water is horrible! Lived here 12 years and never experienced this until they started this cleaning process,” another person said in an email. “Smells, tastes horrible (and) is extremely slimy.”
The concerns trickle down to the city, temporarily changing its water source from the Upper Trinity Regional Water District, which uses surface water, to city-owned water wells that access groundwater.
“During this process, the Upper Trinity Regional Water District does not do a conversion to chlorine only so, we can get off of their water and go straight to groundwater source,” Kriston said. “And then we can control the disinfection process of just adding the chlorine disinfection, which is approved TCEQ method.”
Disinfectant conversion is a common practice among municipalities and ensures water quality by preventing organic biofilm to buildup in pipes and in turn decreases the need for flushing.
“It really did save us millions of gallons of water being flushed in the peak demand season,” Kriston said.
The city assured that more than 15 testing locations meet TCEQ standards.
“Highland Village is producing safe, potable drinking water,” Kriston said.
“I just wouldn't expect that a change would make you physically ill. And that would be considered safe,” Flores said.
Due to the concerns and to be more transparent, the city said that as of Friday, the testing data results will be published on its website.
The city has a full description of its water disinfection process posted online.
