State environmental officials are launching an investigation at White Rock Lake in Dallas just days after 1.5 million gallons of raw sewage from the city of Plano spilled into a creek that feeds into the lake.
According to a statement by Plano city officials, the spill began on Thursday afternoon, March 14. There was a pump and motor failure at the Water District facility, which flooded the station and shut down mechanical equipment. Sewage then overflowed from three manholes on West Plano Parkway.
That sewage rushed into nearby White Rock Creek, which feeds into White Rock Lake in Dallas.
The city of Plano estimated the flow at 500 gallons per minute. The sewage flowed for 38 hours before it could be stopped.
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According to the Dallas Morning News, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality – which is responsible for overseeing such incidents – is investigating the spill.
In a statement to the DMN, Plano spokesperson Steve Stoler said city tests performed Monday showed creek water returned to normal and that from the city’s end, no additional monitoring or cleanup is needed. Officials in neither Plano nor Dallas have reported evidence of damage to aquatic life.
However, as a result of the recent sewage spill into White Rock Creek, Dallas Park and Recreation officials are suspending water-related activities at White Rock Lake Park.
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“To protect public health, park officials advise residents and park visitors not to fish or enter the water because of elevated bacterial levels found in the creek and lake waters. In addition, recreational boaters and rowing and yacht clubs will discontinue their activities and water operations,” the city said in a statement.
While swimming is banned at White Rock Lake, boating is a regular pastime. Local boating clubs have stopped operations on the lake for the time being.
“Friday afternoon is when we first got word," said Ralph "Red Dog" Jones.
Jones is the Commodore of the Corinthian Sailing Club, which had to move a planned regatta this past weekend to Lake Ray Hubbard.
He said several weekly sails will now be on hold until the city gives the club the green light. Until then, he encourages patience.
“I’m sure we’ll have some people that will want to come out here and get their boat. Do it at your own risk. I don’t want to get into this water if there’s that kind of stuff in it," he said.
Dallas Park and Recreation said it will work closely with Dallas Water Utilities to actively monitor the water conditions and treatments.
The Park Department will announce online when water-related activities can resume.
The North Texas Municipal Water District manages the Lower White Rock Creek Lift Station where the overflow occurred. In a statement Thursday, it said it was last upgraded in 2020 with all new electrical systems, pumps, and valves.
"The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) remains committed to protecting public health and the environment. We work closely with our communities to ensure safe, reliable operations of our regional wastewater conveyance systems, including preventing sanitary sewer overflows. However, even with preventative maintenance, these events may occasionally occur due to unforeseen mechanical issues, clogs in the wastewater system, or excessive rainfall.
The recent mechanical failure that led to the overflow in Plano was unfortunate, and we're working around the clock to remedy the situation with the City of Plano and the appropriate regulatory agencies.
To ensure the safety and reliability of our systems, we implemented a revamped and expanded maintenance program for our wastewater conveyance system in 2017. Around this time, NTMWD also renewed our Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initiative (SSOI) agreement with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Our SSOI established a proactive approach to reducing sanitary sewer overflows, and as part of that agreement, NTMWD committed to inspecting all our gravity wastewater pipelines within a ten-year period."
The City of Plano said it also participates in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) voluntary Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initiative.
