Richmond homeowners say they're paying more than $100 a month for water that's brown, smells like rotten eggs

RICHMOND, Texas - Residents in Vacek Country Meadows in Richmond say they continue dealing with discolored, foul-smelling water even after Quadvest says it flushed hydrants and tested the system following customer complaints shared by FOX 26.

What they're saying:

QUADVEST, the water provider for Vacek Country Meadows, say they flushed two hydrants on Friday after we reached out with customer complaints, but residents say it's an ongoing problem.

"This is water I recently retrieved when I was trying to take a bath," said Keshia Trails as she showed us a vial of murky water. "Things are floating around in there," she said.

"It's a hazy yellow. Sometimes it's even brown," said Shaundra McKeithen.

"The smell is horrible, it's like rotten eggs," said Melissa Alvarado.

"The filtration company suggested a well filter," said Kevin Terry. "We put in a well filter, and I'm still seeing brown water."

The homeowners FOX 26 spoke with say they pay $120 a month for water, and it didn't seem to matter how many people are living in the home.

"What's it doing to the kids when they are itching all the time? We're all itching all the time," said Tamika Allen.

The other side:

QUADVEST sent FOX 26 a statement saying, "QUADVEST takes all customer water quality concerns seriously and immediately dispatched our field operations team to investigate the reported concerns in the Vacek Country Meadows subdivision.

Below are the findings from the field investigation:

• Two hydrants closest to 8118 Vacek Meadows Loop were inspected and flushed.
• The hydrant located at 8151 Vacek Meadows Loop was flushed for approximately five minutes, and the water remained clear throughout the process.
• A second hydrant located near Jowart Court was also flushed, and the water cleared immediately.
• A water sample was taken directly at 8118 Vacek Meadows Loop to test both residual levels and water color. The residual levels tested within normal range, and no discoloration was detected.
• Additionally, the water filter at the water plant had recently been switched and is operating properly.

Based on the onsite inspection and testing conducted, all systems are currently operating within normal standards on QUADVEST’s end. We remain committed to monitoring the situation and responding promptly to any customer concerns."