NewsWest 9
MIDLAND - Continuing coverage as Midland County residents are looking ahead hoping officials will start work on a proposed solution to the county's chromium contamination.
This week, state officials announced they will talk to tall city officials about extending water lines to county residents.
But as NewsWest 9 has learned, some neighbors still have plenty of concerns as contamination levels keep going up.
"I knew it was going to be going up, but I didn't know how fast, and it continues to go up. So I am concerned. We need water," Midland County Resident, Tommy Flores, said.
The worries and concerns are still close to minds of dozens who live near cotton flat road south of I-20.
But the announcement this past week that both state and federal dollars could be used to help build a permanent water line is giving some reason to be optimistic.
"I'm excited. I can't wait. I mean, hopefully we can do that, that would take care of it. That's all we want is water," Flores said.
Tommy Flores is one of many residents who have seen the level of chromium 6 in his well water go up within the last few weeks.
Residents say overall, they've been happy with the efforts from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, but many are still worried about the long term affects of extending city water.
"We'd have to pay city tax, and sewer and all that. It's going to be more expense, but it will be good," Midland County Resident, Tommie Mitchell, said.
Tommie Mitchell says there are still questions about how the contaminating and cleanup has affected her property value.
"They said our property had gone down to nothing on account of that, but the tax office says that it wasn't based on the water in the first place. So I don't know, it's all be kind of a confusing, confusion," Mitchell said.
And even though there are still many questions and concerns left to answer, including how to pay for and how fast to extend city water lines, many are just happy to hear about the possibility of a water line.
