Marlin resident Mae Robinson is unhappy, saying her city provides an unsafe water to drink, cook with or even bathe in. 

However, Marlin City Manager Alan Grindstaff says the water is safe to drink and her problems with the water may be caused by the pipes in her house.

Robinson refuses to drink the city water as she fears for her health. She only drinks the store-bought water. 

“Whatever is in the water could give you cancer. We should not be buying water to cook with or to drink, and I don’t feel it is fair we are still paying for it,” Robinson says.

Robinson’s bathtub faucet currently has a thick layer of rust she says is caused by a brown water coming out. 

“It is smelling like stink. Like cesspool. You have to let it run, run, run before you get the smell or the color out,” Robinson says.

The homeowner claims having to use chlorine and apple cider vinegar before hopping in the shower.

“I really don’t feel safe bathing in it,” Robinson says.

Grindstaff says an $8 million water plant serving more than 7,000 people provides clean, safe water. He says while the city’s pipes may be old and in need of replacement, they are not causing a health concern. 

But Robinson disagrees, “Everybody should have a right to water. Clean water. It is a basic necessity.”

The city says they flush the lines once a week to circulate the fluid in addition to testing water hydrants. But Robinson says this is a waste of water and it doesn’t solve her problems. 

FOX44 reached out to The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and has received this statement: 

“The city of Marlin is a community public water system, which serves a population of approximately 7,413 people, 2,471 connections, and utilizes surface water from marlin lake and the brazos river as its source of drinking water.

As of June 8, 2018, and based on the Texas commission on environmental quality’s water supply division compliance data, marlin is in compliance with all primary and secondary drinking water standards.

The TCEQ has received three complaints (on may 1, 7, and 21, 2018, respectively) alleging water discoloration and possible low chlorine residual in the distribution system. In response to these complaints,  the TCEQ initiated an onsite complaint investigation on may 21, 2018. The investigation is not yet completed.

An agreed order (docket no. 2017-0405-pws-e) was issued to the city effective July 18, 2017.  The city has complied with the provisions of the order (attached), including payment of the penalty. A notice of compliance letter was sent to the city on june 4, 2018, and this matter has been closed.

An agreed order (docket no. 2016-1306-pws-e) was issued to the city effective may 4, 2018 for public drinking water violations. A copy of the order is attached and includes the details on this matter, including a description of the violations, required corrective action and information on the administrative penalty. The city has paid the administrative penalty and is currently in compliance with the ordering provisions.

Marlin has one lead and copper rule monitoring and reporting violation and is not currently in compliance with the lcr. The water system has not completed the lead consumer notice requirement following lead and copper tap monitoring conducted in Sept. 2017.

In order to return to compliance, the pws must deliver lead consumer notices to the 20 sampled locations and certify delivery to the TCEQ. Additionally, marlin has three public notice violations for failure to provide public notice for not meeting Cryptosporidium removal requirement in Sept. And Oct. 2016 along with a surface water treatment rule monthly combined filter effluent turbidity violation in July 2017.

Documentation of the public notices were due by oct. 28, 2016, dec. 10, 2016, and Sept. 9, 2017, respectively. The associated swtr violations have since been returned to compliance; however, the public notice violations have yet to be resolved.”