Little quality concern unless sewage discharges

Q: In recent months, some significant improvements have been made to the section of state Highway 3 between Texas City and Dickinson, including pavement of the ditches on the west side.

However, most of the time there are several segments of the ditches that are completely filled with water for days, indicating that the ditches might not be draining properly. Is this stagnant water a health hazard?

A: Any stagnant water can be a potential health hazard, most commonly due to mosquito breeding.

It also might be a safety concern with the potential for children drowning in the ditch water, but as far as a hazard from water quality in the ditch, as long as there are no discharges of sewage into the ditch, there is very little water quality concern.