local
Odessa tap water smells like sewage, city says it is safe to drink
Summary by The Midland Editorial Desk Luke Johnson , as published by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS)
· July 23, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) · view original
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The Midland Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Luke Johnson, as published by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 23, 2026 Indexed here Jul 24, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway Further information on the situation is available from local news sources, including KOSA CBS7.
Residents of Odessa, Texas, reported that their tap water smelled like sewage on Wednesday. Despite the unpleasant odor, city officials claim the water is safe to drink. The cause of the smell has been identified as related to the introduction of a new waterline by the Colorado River Municipal Water District.
The city manager stated that the smell is due to an influx of algae into the system. He expects the odor to dissipate within a day. Some residents had expressed concern that sewage may have contaminated the water supply, but the city manager assured that this was not the case.
Further information on the situation is available from local news sources, including KOSA CBS7.
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About this story
As published by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) . The Midland surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local Published: July 23, 2026 Source: KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Residents of Odessa, Texas, reported that their tap water smelled like sewage on Wednesday. Despite the unpleasant odor, city officials claim the water is safe to drink. The cause of the smell has…
When was this published? This article was first published on July 23, 2026 by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) and curated for The Midland readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Luke Johnson at KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS). To learn more about how The Midland selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The Midland, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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