ODESSA, TX (KWES) - The City of Odessa has been asking around what Odessans think of the water taste.
Your answer could mean investing in water softening treatment at the water plant. The city said this could potentially make Odessans happy and bring more economic growth.
With a few simple clicks, you can tell the city of Odessa what you think about your water quality.
"Our water is actually very safe to drink," said Andrea Goodson with the City of Odessa. "People don't like how it looks sometimes and don't like how it tastes but as far as EPA standards, we're doing great with the quality of our water."
The city said the survey responses will help them determine if investing in a water softening system is something worth doing.
"Are we offsetting it or are we saving you money? You're not having to maintain your own systems or buy bottled water or bagged ice," said Goodson.
It comes with a price tag, if the city decides to move forward, water bills can increase by just a couple of bucks per month.
The city said it will pay for itself if that means water heaters and dishwashers last longer. Another perk is softer water can potentially boost local economy.
"We hope to reduce the complaints from our citizens but it would also attract businesses and economic growth to our area," said Goodson. "If big businesses aren't coming here because they would have to spend a lot of money to soften the water. Well, if we can do that for them maybe we can grow our economy and diversify our economic base by getting some bigger businesses here."
You can take the survey by clicking here and it's open for a month.
Currently, Odessa gets their water from three lakes in central Texas and they say that will not change.
The city is in very early research stages. Right now, they're wanting to know if it's worth pursuing the improvements. They said they do not have a time frame or cost estimate but did mention water bills might increase by just a couple of bucks if they decide to go through with the water softening system.
