City of Corsicana

Water sources for both tap and bottled water include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land surfaces or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and sometimes radioactive materials, while also potentially collecting substances from animal presence or human activities.

All water, including bottled varieties, typically contains at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these substances doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For detailed information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Source water may contain several types of contaminants:

• Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants including salts and metals, occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, industrial wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from various sources including agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential usage
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants, either naturally occurring or resulting from oil/gas production and mining activities

The EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems to ensure tap water safety. Similarly, FDA regulations set limits for contaminants in bottled water to provide equivalent public health protection.

Water may sometimes have taste, color, or odor issues that aren't necessarily health concerns. For questions about these aesthetic water qualities, please contact the system's office.

Certain populations may be more vulnerable to specific microbial contaminants like Cryptosporidium. This includes infants, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, people taking steroids, and individuals with HIV/AIDS or other immune disorders. These individuals should consult their healthcare providers about drinking water safety. Additional guidelines for reducing Cryptosporidium infection risk are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Elevated lead levels can cause serious health problems, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Lead in water primarily comes from materials and components of service lines and household plumbing. While we provide high-quality drinking water, we cannot control the materials used in plumbing components. To minimize lead exposure, flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking if it has been sitting for several hours. If concerned about lead, consider having your water tested. Information about lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Monthly Cryptosporidium testing was conducted throughout 2017 at all water sources with no detection of cryptosporidium.

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