Just when you thought Lubbock tap water couldn’t get any more exotic, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department dropped the news that Lake Meredith is officially “fully infested” with invasive zebra mussels. For those unfamiliar with the geography of our municipal plumbing, Lake Meredith happens to be a key reservoir for the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, which pipes raw surface water directly to eleven Panhandle cities, including our beloved Hub City. Originally hailing from Eurasia, these microscopic freeloaders have already colonised 40 lakes across Texas, and now they’re using our regional water supply as a personal launching pad along Interstate 40.
State experts are politely warning lakegoers to wear water shoes unless they want their feet sliced up by razor-sharp shells, but the real party begins underwater. Zebra mussels reproduce like crazy and glue themselves together in massive, pipe-clogging colonies that wreck municipal infrastructure and water treatment equipment. But rest easy, Lubbockites: water authority officials assure us there is “not a significant concern” because they are already dumping chemical treatments into the reservoir to control the population. Because if there is one thing that really elevates the fine, earthy taste of West Texas tap water, it’s a refreshing cocktail of industrial chemicals and dissolved shellfish.
To keep the infestation from spreading, state officials are reminding boaters that it is legally mandatory to “clean, drain, and dry” their watercraft or risk a $500 fine. State officials are asking folks to drain every drop of standing water and let their boats dry out for an entire week between trips. Relying on weekend boaters to meticulously decontaminate their rigs before hitting the water seems like a foolproof plan that will definitely stop an invasive species dead in its tracks.
At least when your kitchen faucet starts sputtering out a calcium-rich shellfish puree, you can finally tell your out-of-town friends that Lubbock boasts its very own coastal raw bar.
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