Grand Prairie water supply contaminated by fire foam; no timeline for when it will be safe to drink
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Tens of thousands of Grand Prairie residents still cannot use their tap water after a firefighting foaming agent got into the water supply.
There's no timeline yet for when water can be used again.
The mayor says roughly 60,000 people are impacted.
What happened?
The city of Grand Prairie announced Tuesday night that a foaming agent was detected in the water north of I-20.
Mayor Ron Jensen says around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, fire crews were battling a fire at a warehouse on S Avenue and used a foaming agent to put it out.
"We’re fairly certain that we had a backflow incident while treating the fire and suppressing the fire with foam," he explained. "Do not drink, shower, bathe, anything with it."
Grand Prairie says they are flushing their water supply and waiting for the test results to come back clean.
The process involves draining the whole water tower and then refilling it.
Why is the water unsafe?
Grand Prairie Fire uses a foam called Micro-Blaze that doesn’t contain PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. However, the manufacturer’s website says the foam can cause allergic reactions on skin and may be harmful if swallowed.
"I’ve got to assume people showered in it last night. I’ve got to assume people drinking it," the mayor said. "We’ve had no incidents of anybody having any health issues."
In the meantime, the city is waiting on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to give them the green light that the water is safe.
"Our job is to follow their instructions, and we’ve got to right some things and continue flushing until they tell us it’s clean enough to drink," Jensen said.
There is no timeframe for when they expect the water to be okay.
The city is asking people not to boil their water to try to treat it themselves.
Grand Prairie released a map showing the areas involved in the water advisory.
The city says the shaded area on the map is an approximation of the affected area where people should avoid using their water.
The city says tap water should not be used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, washing dishes or making ice. Even pets and animals should not drink the tap water.
The issue is having an impact on local businesses. Many had to close on because of the water issue.
Francisco Vargas, owner of Guanataco Restaurant, was one of them.
"It was an automatic call saying you should not be using the water for drinking, cooking or washing dishes. So we have to stop everything," he said.
Vargas says he can’t reopen until the water is deemed safe. So for now, he’s forced to turn away customers.
"We need to open for business," he said. "This is what I do for a living."
Where can I get water?
Grand Prairie gives away water at Lone Star Park
Grand Prairie residents are being urged not to use the tap water because of a "foaming agent" in the water supply. The city of Grand Prairie announced Tuesday night that a foaming agent was detected in the water north of I-20. A water distribution event was held at Lone Star Park.
Thousands of bottles of water have been given out to Grand Prairie residents since the contamination was detected.
The water bottle distribution began Tuesday night at City Hall.
On Wednesday morning, the water distribution shifted to Lone Star Park.
The city says they are working with partner organizations and businesses to get more bottled water to residents.
This water distribution center at Lone Star Park will remain open for people until the water is safe for consumption. The timeframe for that is still unclear.
Any new information from the city will be here: gptx.org
Residents with questions are asked to call 972-237-8400.
Where can I shower?
With many unable to shower, some businesses are opening up their door for free shower and water access.
The Grand Prairie YMCA is offering its facilities to the public until 9 p.m. Affected residents just need to bring a photo ID.
The EpicCentral entertainment facility is also allowing affected people to use its showering facilities during regular business hours.
Has Grand Prairie ISD canceled school Thursday?
Grand Prairie ISD has also canceled school for Thursday.
"Based on current information regarding the city’s water issue, we feel it's in the best interest of our students and staff to close tomorrow, Thursday, September 5, 2024. We will continue to monitor this situation in anticipation of reopening Friday," the district's email said.
The school district is providing students grab-and-go lunches from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at:
- Ochoa STEM Academy at Ben Milam Elementary - 2030 Proctor Drive
- Global Leadership Academy at Barbara Bush Elementary - 511 E. Springdale Lane
- Florence Hill Elementary - 4213 Robinson Road
- Travis World Language Academy - 525 N. E. 15th Street
- Rayburn Elementary STEAM Academy - 2800 Reforma Drive
- Bowie Fine Arts Academy - 425 Alice Drive
- Daniels Academy of Science and Math - 801 M L King Jr. Blvd.
- Jackson Middle School - 350 Corn Valley Road
This is the second day in a row GPISD is canceling classes. Just before midnight, Grand Prairie ISD decided to cancel all classes for Wednesday.
The district will also be posting updates on its website.
Along with GPISD, the charter school Uplift Gran is also closed on Thursday.