Governor Greg Abbott provided an update on the deadly amoeba, Naeglera Fowleri, found in the City of Lake Jackson’s water supply on Tuesday, September 29th at Brazosport College in Lake Jackson. The Governor was joined by Speaker Dennis Bonnen, Senator Joan Huffman, TCEQ Executive Director Toby Baker, DSHS Commissioner John Hellerstedt, MD, and TDEM Chief Nim Kidd.
The HillCo report below is a summary of remarks intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics discussed. This report is not a verbatim transcript; it is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Governor Greg Abbott
- Extends condolences to the family of Josiah McIntyre
- Need to ensure this does not happen again; will aim to quickly fix whatever is wrong
- Goal is to locate where it happened, how it happened, and to ensure it does not happen again
- State will use every applicable agency to respond to this situation
- CDC, EPA, FEMA, DSHS, TDEM and TCEQ have been involved in this issue
- Need to ensure community has access to water
- Have seen entities in the private sector who have donated water
House Speaker Dennis Bonnen
- The loss of Josiah will not be in vain; proud of community’s support of the family
- This is a rare occurrence; those involved are working to restore the confidence in the water system
Senator Joan Huffman
- State is committed to finding out what happened to cause the death of Josiah
- Aim to bring a feeling of safety to Lake Jackson; here to lift the burden from this community
- Thanks Governor Abbott for the State’s support
Modesto Mundo, City Manager of Lake Jackson
- Committed to find out what happened to cause Josiah’s death
- State has full resources available to solve this issue
Toby Baker, Commissioner TCEQ
- Heart goes out to the family of Josiah; TCEQ will be with the city until this is sorted out
- Have been embedded in the city since Saturday to investigate
- Saturday found 11 sites with residuals below disinfectant levels; Lake Jackson is the city of concern
- Amoeba is extremely rare; have not ever seen it in public municipal water
- Path forward is extensive, have to get through boil water stage; 2-3 weeks
- Need to up the chlorine in the system; could take 60 days
- CDC will do testing on the backside
- TCEQ will be helping with cross-connection surveys
- Will continue to work to make sure the citizens can fully trust the drinking water system
John Hellerstedt, DSHS
- When the system will reach the regulatory amount of disinfectants in the system, the water will fully be safe
- Water is safe in other parts of the Brazoria system
- Is rare, has never occurred in a municipal water system
Nim Kidd, TDEM
- Have distributed cases of water; will continue to provide water to the community
Questions and Answers: questions were mostly unintelligible
Q:
Modesto Mundo – We test the water monthly
Baker – Quarterly and monthly tests; residuals show there will be nothing of concern up to this point
Q:
Baker – Had a Q2 test and have had a monthly report since then
Q:
Modesto Mundo – Found out on the 25th that there was a possibility it was in the system
Modesto Mundo – Initial tests 10th and 14th it came back negative; worked with the CSC to get the results on the 25th
Modesto Mundo – Overviewed areas that have been tested; Lake Jackson is the main concern
Q:
Abbott – They get reports on water tests on an ongoing basis
Baker – If disinfectant levels are not high enough, then there is an issue
Baker – Sampling/testing happens the same way across the state
Q:
Baker – All providers have to do regular testing on disinfectant levels
Q:
Hellerstedt – The only way you can get the amoeba is if it goes deep in your sinuses, cannot get from drinking the water or showering
Hellerstedt – Is an extremely rare occurrence
Q:
Baker – Investigation is ongoing, too early to speculate as to what caused it
Q: What are the chances of this amoeba killing other people?
Abbott – From what I have gathered, all information points to this being isolated
Abbott – Immediate suspected cause of this was a splash pad which has since been shut down
Hellerstedt – The risk is vanishingly small; there is not going to be a chance the water will contain this amoeba in the water system after remediation efforts are completed
Hellerstedt – Amoeba is present in many bodies of water in Texas; see very few cases
Q: Do you have the ability to stop the infection once it has set in?
Hellerstedt – Has a high mortality rate
Q: Testing has been done in other cities, or just in Lake Jackson?
Baker – TCEQ tested BWA’s distribution system, CDC did testing only in Lake Jackson
Baker – Did a wide test in Lake Jackson; confident that is where the problem is
Q:
Baker – A two-pronged approach:
Baker – Disinfectant side, will raise the chlorine levels in the system (2-3 weeks of boil water notice)
Baker – After that, elevated chlorine levels will have to be maintained for 60 days
Baker – At the same time, will conduct cross contamination surveys; hopes timelines will match up