The Gazette

Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: News

tudents and faculty living in The Langston Commons and other town residents are concerned about the brown water that sometimes comes out of their faucets. Other complaints include water that tastes bad and smells chlorinated even when it appears clear. The photo above was taken in a student's apartment.

Like many Langston residents, Vaniecia Pollard is very worried that the water coming out of her faucets is not truly safe for drinking, bathing or cooking. She is so skeptical that she recently bought a filter for her kitchen sink and spends at least $40 a month on bottled water.

"Water contamination is a major concern for me because I have a child in my home," said the 21-year-old biology major who has an apartment in The Langston Commons. "Also, I am pregnant and have lupus, so the possibility of water borne illnesses and diseases worries me on a daily basis. I feel like the water is not safe at all, and it's only a matter of time before I or someone in my family becomes ill because of it."

Pollard and other Langston residents may have good reason to be concerned. According to Skylar McElhaney, the public information officer for Oklahoma's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Langston's water supply has been cited for numerous compliance violations dating back to 1997 in the Public Water System Supervision Program's (PWSS) annual compliance reports. The compliance reports are compiled by the DEQ and serve as a notice to the public concerning the safety of the water being distributed for human consumption. The DEQ monitors more than 1,600 active public water supply systems in Oklahoma that do not meet federal regulations, which includes Langston's water supply.

In the 2006 report, the town of Langston was cited for seven violations because of the high levels of various contaminants in the water: nitrate; interim enhanced surface water treatment rule (IESWTR) turbidity treatment technique; disinfection byproducts rule maximum contaminant levels; coliform; total organic carbon (TOC); total trihalomethane (THM); and HAA5 (haloacetic acid).

Nitrates are naturally occurring chemicals that form after the breakdown or decomposition of animal or human waste. Langston's nitrate levels were found to be too high.

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