Clean Water Task Force challenges perceptions of Shreveport drinking water at second meeting
SHREVEPORT, La. — Members of Shreveport’s Clean Water Task Force put public perception of the city’s drinking water to the test Thursday with a blind tap-water tasting.
Attendees sampled water from Shreveport, Bossier City and Monroe and ranked each sample on a scale of one to four, with four being the best.
Task force members said the tasting was intended to gather feedback from the community while challenging negative perceptions about Shreveport’s water.
The tasting results placed Bossier’s water first, Shreveport’s second and Monroe’s last.
Shreveport resident Gwendolyn Phelps participated in the tasting and said the water samples had similar tastes, but she preferred Bossier City’s water.
“C tastes best. It had a softer taste,” Phelps said. “I drink Shreveport water on a regular basis at the tap, so I would drink this water.”
The task force also revisited topics from its first meeting, including the city’s water treatment process, state grading criteria and utility rates.
Interim Water and Sewer Director Brandon Snead said the task force is working toward the state-mandated goal of submitting findings and recommendations aimed at improving Shreveport’s overall water grade by Nov. 18.
“We are taking notes and we are working towards that end goal,” Snead said. “We’re also hearing some new things that we need to look at and focus on.”
In May, Shreveport’s water system received a failing grade from the Louisiana Department of Health for the second consecutive year.
Today members of the task force said they believe the grade will improve in the future. City officials also encouraged residents experiencing water-quality issues to call the Department of Water and Sewer and request testing.
The next task force meeting is scheduled for Sept. 10 in the Southern Hills neighborhood.