Crockett officials say TCEQ sampling violations were procedural; utility projects and enforcement deadlines loom

City staff told the mayor and council that two recent Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) notices resulted from sampling and procedural errors, not from water‑quality contamination.

A staff member explained the errors in detail: one sample was missing when it was sent to the lab, and another was submitted outside the required 30‑minute window (taken about six hours late). "That was something that he was not familiar with enough to catch it," staff said of the employee who prepared the samples. Staff said they have added a supervisor sign-off to the chain of custody, increased continuing education hours and updated standard operating procedures to reduce recurrence.

Staff emphasized the city’s water itself remains safe, saying, "It was not a water quality issue. It was a procedure of sampling." The city also said it mailed notices to all water customers and posted explanatory material online for transparency.

Beyond sampling, staff warned of pressing wastewater equipment needs tied to TCEQ enforcement: a failed digester at the wastewater plant (a full rebuild cited at more than a quarter-million dollars), ragger sensors to prevent rag-clogging on main pumps (about $33,000 to equip five pumps), and clarifiers that staff described as nearing end of service life (staff estimated roughly $500,000 per clarifier). Staff proposed shorter-term fixes (a portable aerator for roughly $71,000) and directed council’s attention to possible utility-rate increases or use of reserves to fund required replacements.

Councilors pressed staff about timelines and funding but prioritized mandatory compliance items; staff said some purchases will proceed whether or not council had to amend the budget because of enforcement requirements. No formal fiscal action on the items was taken at the meeting.