Residents and commissioners raise lasting water-system concerns in Whitefield and Lewisville

At a Haskell County Board of Commissioners meeting, speakers described ongoing problems with the Whitefield and Lewisville water systems, including leaks, turbidity, and what they said were operational and governance lapses that have persisted for years.

A speaker said the Whitefield system has “a lot of leaks” and urged neighbors to attend the water board’s monthly meetings, which the speaker said are held the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. at the water company office. The speaker also said many residents do not drink the system water and expressed concern that Lewisville does not have fire hydrants in some areas.

The speaker asked county commissioners to coordinate with the water board and with whoever succeeds Joe Harmon in a local role to get problems addressed. The speaker said the system operator is known locally as Stingler and alleged that turbidity is being circulated back to the pump, and that a clarifier built in 2002 has not been used properly. The speaker said water tanks are “full” but raised concerns about filtering and monitoring practices.

The speaker also said one long-serving board member, identified by name in the meeting as “Mr. Few,” may have cognitive impairment that affects governance and suggested the county pursue updated membership or oversight. When asked whether a state inspector could intervene, commissioners said a state inspection would be a next step if the board and county cannot resolve the issues.

An attendee described difficulties getting information or cooperation from some board members and reported a breakdown in communication with a tribal group that had previously offered help. The meeting transcript records an unattributed, racially charged remark made by an attendee; that remark is not repeated here, but the conversation included references to tensions among local stakeholders.

Why this matters: commissioners and residents said the problems affect drinking water quality, firefighting infrastructure and local oversight. Multiple speakers urged local residents to attend water-board meetings and suggested the county escalate to a state inspector if necessary.

No formal action or vote on a remedy or referral to state officials was recorded during the meeting. The discussion was recorded as public comment and new business; commissioners indicated next steps would be to engage the water board and the new local contact for the system.