A group of Dallas residents say they are concerned about a large pool of standing water at a construction site because of West Nile virus worries.
A pool of water about the size of a football field has been at the site of an apartment complex under construction in the 4000 block of North Central Expressway in the Knox-Henderson area of Dallas.
"It's really gross," said Marianna Dubinsky, who lives at an apartment complex near the construction site. "I mean, with West Nile around, it's just kind of scary. So many people have been getting sick, and it's a really bad time of year to have a construction site like that."
The site is located in zip code 75204, which has had one confirmed human case of West Nile virus so far this year, according to Dallas County.
"I'm very worried about the mosquitoes," Maria Valdez said. "I'm 76 years old."
However, the city said an environmental specialist checked the construction site on Tuesday and did not detect any mosquito breeding.
Dallas also said the location was not suitable for mosquito breeding because it is in the open and does not have protection from elements.
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The water has collected from water injections done in preparation for pouring concrete, the city said.
A Hanover Co. project manager told NBC 5 by phone that the water is needed to stabilize the soil, which needs to take place in order to backfill the lot and be able to build on it, he said.
The city said Don Paige, a construction superintendent at the site, told its environmental specialist that the water would be drained by noon Wednesday.
The water is not being treated with larvicide, but crews pump it so that it doesn't sit stagnant during work hours, the Hanover project manager told NBC 5.
