KEMPNER, Texas (KWTX) – Frustration continued among Kempner Water Supply customers Monday as the company said it will not soon lift the boil water notice due to low chlorine residual levels and the procedures used to flush that water.

Bruce Sorenson, general manager of Kempner Water Supply Corporation, told KWTX Monday morning that the boil water notice will not be lifted anytime soon.

He said the water did not contain bacteria, according to sample results from the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality last week, but chlorine levels were lower than state requirements.

Sorenson said the company will conduct a “free chlorine conversion” on Tuesday, Aug. 27, which will flush the entire system and eliminate any water quality issues.

Kempner Water Supply serves customers in Lampasas, Coryell and Bell counties. Click here to view the service map.

Due to low chlorine residual levels, the company issued the latest boil water notice on Wednesday, August 14.

Helt said that during the current boil water notice, he noticed that the water coming from his faucet was discolored and contained sediment.

“I was in the shower the other night … and I happened to look down and noticed that the entire shower floor was dirty and brown and orange,” he said.

KWTX asked Sorenson about the issue. He said the “sediment” is manganese, a natural mineral, and it gets into the water when the lake is disturbed. However, after Tuesday’s chlorine conversion, the manganese should no longer be in the water.

Helt is frustrated because he has to pay for water that he says he cannot use.

“What bothers me most is that we pay $100 or more a month for water that A. we currently cannot drink and B. I don’t even want to shower with,” he said.

Sorenson told KWTX that customers can use the water they pay for if they boil it. The request to boil water is a precautionary measure, he said.

Like many clients in recent years, Helt demands answers and accountability.

“The people who work there and supply water to the rest of the city must be held accountable,” he said. “We as residents depend on fresh, clean water.”

Bruce Sorenson, general manager of Kempner Water Supply Corporation, told KWTX in a report Wednesday that the company issued 16 boil water notices for leaks and two for low chlorine levels.

Sorenson told KWTX that the reports are coming from older areas in Texas where there are plumbing problems and old infrastructure.

Below is a timeline of KWTX reports on customer concerns regarding Kempner water problems since 2016.

• November 2016: Customers concerned about communication from local water company
  • The report details that customers received a notice that the concentration of trihalomethane was three times higher than the maximum limit, posing a potential health hazard.
  • Kempner Water Supply responded that the water was safe to drink.
• March 2017: Kempner: Water bills for customers are rising
  • Customers of Kemper Water Supply started a petition to prevent an increase in their water bills. Due to a contract with the city of Lampasas and a subsidy the water company had to pay, a $5 increase in water bills was expected.
  • Kempner Water Supply responded: “We want to do everything in our power to eliminate the subsidy.”
• December 2022: Kempner residents are angry after water bills show a $70 base fee
  • The report explains why Kempner WSC’s water bills were higher than average.
  • The company told KWTX: “Kempner WSC is committed to finding ways to reduce costs for our members while continuing to improve our system…”
• July 27, 2023: Thousands of people in Lampasas County are expected to be without water Friday as the utility works to repair a broken water main
  • Due to a water main burst in Kempner, thousands of people are subject to level five water restrictions.
• July 28, 2023: Kempner Volunteer Fire Department offers help as thousands are without water
  • The Kempner VFD will become a hub for water resources for the population.

• October 2023:Kempner Water Supply repairs water main leak, Lampasas still has boil water order
  • The city of Lampasas had Level 5 water restrictions and a boil water notice in place following a leak that Kempner WSC said was due to recent rains.
• June 2024: Residents concerned after Kempner Water Supply issues boil water notice amid dispute between water suppliers
  • The water company has issued a boil water notice due to a lack of chlorine. It says the water must be boiled before consumption to kill harmful bacteria.
  • Central Texas Water Supply said it treats water for Kempner Water Supply. It said rainfall increased the pH of Stillhouse Hollow Lake, changing the way it treats the water.
  • Disputes arose between water suppliers over who was responsible for the water problems.
• June 2024: Residents seek answers as Kempner Water Supply holds meeting due to water quality concerns

• Customers flocked to Kempner Water Supply’s board meeting to get answers to water quality questions.
• The board said it would answer all customer questions later in an email and that it had the problems under control.
• August 2024: Texas Commission of Environmental Quality tests water in Kempner as residents concerned about quality
  • The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality is testing the water in Kempner. They said some samples were below the state limit. Kempner WSC is issuing a boil water notice because too little chlorine remains.

Sorenson said Kempner WSC has had no problems with Central Texas Water Supply’s water treatment as of Monday morning.

Kempner City Mayor John “JW” Wilkerson announced that he has reached out to Kempner Water Supply to participate in a public hearing with the city and residents on Tuesday, August 26.

Wilkerson also shared Sorenson’s email response stating that the company would not participate, adding that the company is working to obtain funding or grants to help with the water quality issues.

The email invited the mayor to come by for a discussion or attend a board meeting, which is held on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. at Kempner Water Supply – 11986 HWY 190, Kempner TX.

KWTX will continue to follow this story.

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