A Texas school district was forced to close today after a foaming agent was discovered in the city’s water supply.
Residents in Grand Prairie, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan region, were warned Tuesday night to avoid drinking or using tap water “until further notice” because of the possible contaminant.
The Grand Prairie Independent School District closed all schools today “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a warning on its website. Classes and extracurricular activities are scheduled to resume as normal on Thursday.
The city confirmed last night that a foaming agent was detected in the water north of I-20, but did not say when the water is expected to be safe again.
Grand Prairie officials have not revealed what, if any, health effects the lockdown affecting the water supply has. However, foaming agents are known to cause diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems when ingested in high amounts.
The Grand Prairie Independent School District closed all of its schools today “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a warning on its website. Classes and extracurricular activities are scheduled to resume as normal on Thursday. Pictured: A high school in the district
The school district canceled classes and school activities on Wednesday shortly before midnight, citing the “ongoing water issue in the city.”
District officials added: “We will resume our regular schedule on Thursday.”
A foaming agent is a surfactant that creates foam in water. They typically have a “soapy” taste and an oily, fishy, or perfume-like odor, depending on the type of foam. Know your H2O.
Crews were working through the night to isolate the affected water supply area, Fox 4 reported.
The city also installed water distribution stations in an effort to provide residents with safe drinking water.
The school district canceled classes and school activities on Wednesday shortly before midnight, citing the “ongoing water issue in the city.”
The city confirmed last night that a foaming agent was detected in the water north of I-20. Here is a map of the affected area, as shared by the city.
Bottled water is available in the front parking lot of Grand Prairie City Hall at 300 W. Main Street, and at several other locations around town.
There was a long queue of vehicles outside the distribution site at City Hall on Tuesday evening, photos shared on social media show.
A list of distribution centers is available onlineResidents can also call 972-237-8400 if they have further questions.