Army: Fort Polk water safe; has 'aesthetic issues'

FORT POLK, La. (AP) — Top officials at Fort Polk say the tap water on base is safe to drink, even if it is sometimes brown.

The American Press (http://bit.ly/1xTqRQF) reports that at a town hall meeting last week, an engineer said the water looks gross but is not dangerous.

U.S. Army Public Health Command engineer Steve Clark says system manager American Water is making changes that should clear up the water within 18 months.

Clark worked on tests ordered by the state health department after the newspaper reported in June that trace levels of lead and copper were found in Fort Polk homes.

He says only three of 34 samples were above lead or copper action levels, meaning the required 90 percent were below that level.

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