Odessa explains ordinance proposed for polluted groundwater inside the city limits

Polluted groundwater has forced the City of Odessa to put a new ordinance on the table.

A public meeting was held Thursday to discuss what that ordinance means for residents.

If Bridges Equipment Company gets that a municipal setting designation, it comes with an ordinance making it a criminal offense to use that contaminated groundwater for drinking or bathing.

Environmental consultants explained the groundwater in this zone on the 2100 block of Maurice Road has been tainted since the early 90s when it was used for industrial work.

They said it won’t spread to nearby water wells used by the city, but can be used for commercial purposes if they get this designation.

“They’ve been cleansing it and trying to remediate it for a number of years, for almost decades,” City of Odessa’s Assistant City Attorney Robert Carroll said. “Why it’s important now is they have done so much remediation on this soil it is still not to a level where someone can drink. You can use it for non-potable reasons and one of the reasons is nobody wants this land to sit dry and not used.”

There will be a public hearing on the ordinance held at city hall Oct. 8 at 10 a.m..