ODESSA, TEXAS (BIG 2/ FOX 24)- Concerned citizens gather Thursday to discuss contaminated groundwater near 2120 and 2122 Maurice Road.

“It’s important now is because they have done so much remediation on this soil and 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,” says Senior Assistant City Attorney, Robert Carroll.

He says it’s not safe to drink but can be used by businesses.

“They want to make it marketable to other businesses so if the businesses can use the water for non-potable uses that’s fine.”

Although the responsible Oil Company has been working on cleaning up the water for decades they still need to City’s approval, in the form of a municipal setting designation (MSD), to make it illegal for residents to drink the water.

“The MSD is what triggers us to pass an ordinance to make it illegal to use that water for potable uses. It comes with a resolution, the ordinance would make it a criminal offense to use any of the groundwater in a certain area, in particular here in these areas, for any potable use,” says Carroll.