The Denton County town of Ponder has a mystery. What, if anything, is wrong with the water?
“Very emotional agenda items on the agenda tonight,” Mayor John Bassler said as he started Monday night’s Town Council meeting.
Residents Meghan and Alex Avigliano said they’ve experienced itching and rashes after using the water in their home and they’ve documented about 100 others who report similar issues at their homes.
"There’s something in there,” Avigliano told town council members. “Whether it's minute or big, whatever it is that’s causing some type of reaction that’s affecting your residents.”
The town’s Public Works Director, Gary Morris, told the council testing done so far by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shows nothing out of the ordinary, but will keep testing. “We have no idea,” said Bassler. “All we know is we meet everything required by state and federal.”
On Tuesday, TCEQ will test water from the water tower. The Town Council also approved hiring an outside third party to do additional testing.
The issue has been contentious.
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“We have no proof yet that any of this is from the water,” said Councilmember Matt Poole. “I don’t want to see our town unnecessarily drug through the mud.”
“We have the proof,” countered resident, Seraluna Sanchez, as she held a photo of her child. “This is my kid’s back after two minutes contact with the shower.”
The mayor said test results could take a month or more.
