Texas environmental report details Trinidad water issues; state issues deadline for improvement plan

TRINIDAD, Texas - The issues with water in the small Texas town of Trinidad have been compiled and detailed in a state report released on Monday.

Trinidad Water Issues

What we know:

For months, FOX 4 viewers have been sending in videos and pictures of the water in Trinidad, a city over an hour south of Downtown Dallas.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been investigating the city's water supply. On Monday, TCEQ released their findings.

TCEQ's report found discolored water in Trinidad that "exceeded the standard."

It points to water mains in the city as being part of the problem: "the age and condition of distribution mains may be a factor in contributing to tinted or discolored water," including "dead-end lines" that prevent water from properly circulating through its pipes.

The report also points to failures to properly conduct chloramine effectiveness sampling in its water.

What they're saying:

Steven Haynes and Jonathan Bowman own businesses in Trinidad. They say raw, unfiltered water tested at their businesses discovered disinfectant contamination that exceeded federal maximums by more than 300%.

"Trinidad needs to make a decision whether or not it wants to be in the water business," Bowman tells FOX 4's David Sentendrey.

To combat the city's water issues, Bowman and Haynes have invested in a $10,000 water filtration system.

"There’s a tipping point for everything, and we have hit the tipping point," Haynes said.

"People should recognize that other businesses moving to Trinidad are going to have to do something to this effect to be able to provide clean water," Bowman said.

What's next:

TCEQ has issued an August 3 deadline for Trinidad to set a compliance plan to solve their water issues.

Trinidad Water Saga

Timeline:

The saga in Trinidad, which claims less than 800 residents, began in May following Combs' arrest over the city's water issues.

Combs' post stated that people had been hospitalized after drinking the city's water. FOX 4 has not verified that anyone in Trinidad was hospitalized from drinking the city's water.

A Henderson County grand jury declined to indict Combs, who has since filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Trinidad and Gregory which alleges she was arrested in "an act of deliberate political retaliation."

One day after FOX 4's initial report on Combs, citizen journalist Winston Noles protested outside Trinidad City Hall with a sign with expletives targeting "bad cops."

Noles was arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct for the sign. The Trinidad Municipal Judge, Shellena Bivens, later dismissed the charge.

On Wednesday, May 27, Alex Estrada and Colby Reyes, two former Trinidad employees, filed a lawsuit against the city claiming the city administrator fired them without cause.

Reyes, the former Trinidad Water Clerk, says in the lawsuit that she was fired because she "refused to lie" on behalf of Gregory and City Administrator Dosier.

Reyes' lawsuit claims Gregory publicly fabricated a story that Reyes was frightened by Noles in order to arrest him, in which Reyes says she put in writing she was "never offended" by Noles.

A law firm representing Estrada and Reyes and Consumer Wellness Center Labs are organizing free independent water testing for people on Trinidad's water supply as the TCEQ investigation continues.

At a May 28 Trinidad City Council meeting, Judge Bivens was fired as the city's municipal judge. The issue of water quality in Trinidad was never addressed.

Gregory, who made his first public comments since FOX 4 initially reported on the story, said he had "nothing to hide" in relation to Combs and Noles' arrests.

Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws suggested to Sentendrey that the Texas Rangers should investigate the city and its police department after the recent arrests and water issues have come to light.

Bivens is considering legal action against Trinidad, with her attorney saying her firing was unjust. "I’m a good judge. I’m a damn good judge," Bivens told Sentendrey.

In June, a family in Trinidad alleged that after showering with the city's water, their teenage daughter suffered a chemical burn.

An attorney for the family provided a preliminary water test strip result that showed "dangerous" free chlorine levels in the Logan family's water. It remains unclear if Trinidad's recent water treatment led to the Logans' daughter's rash.

A planned meeting for Thursday, June 4 to give an update on the city's attempts to fix their water quality issues was canceled. Mayor Dennis Haws said he did not receive a reason for the cancellation, though a small protest took place outside the planned meeting.

Gregory resigned from his position as Trinidad Police Chief following the multiple controversies. His final day with the department was June 19.

Gregory has declined interview requests from FOX 4, citing pending lawsuits.

Following news of Gregory's resignation, the Trinidad judge who approved the arrest warrant for Combs wrote a scathing letter against him and his police department.

McKee's letter questions "the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of information presented" to him by two Trinidad police officers in relation to Combs' arrest warrant.

The Texas Rangers have since begun an investigation into Trinidad officials, although the exact nature of their investigation is unknown.

TexasEnvironment