Pflugerville Suggests Boiling Water For Some Near Sewage Spill

PFLUGERVILLE, TX — The wastewater main break that occurred Thursday in Pflugerville has been repaired after more than 100,0000 gallons spilled out after an accidental rupture, officials said.

City officials provided an update on repairs on Friday. A main wastewater line was struck accidentally by a utility subcontractor at around 11 am. on Thursday, prompting a scramble to get it fixed. Concern over the leak was heightened given the nearby presence of Lake Pflugerville from which drinking water is drawn.

The line repair was complete by 10:30 p.m. without disruption to customer service, according to a press advisory serving as an update. At 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, the city lift stations changed from manual pumping back to automatic, officials said.

Related story: Pflugerville Crews Scramble To Contain Wastewater Line Rupture

Working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and city utility partners, officials estimate that more than 100,000 gallons of wastewater spilled from the damaged pipe before the full pipe repair was complete, according to the update.

Contractors working on unrelated street repairs were in near proximity were pressed into service to help plug the leak and mitigate the spread of wastewater into the environment, officials said. As a result, city officials said 88,000 gallons of wastewater were prevented from entering the Wilbarger tributary.

"Additionally, an earthen dam was put in place across the channel and contained most of the rest of the spill," city officials explained. "Materials collected were pumped and disposed properly at the treatment plant."

Despite such efforts, some of the spilled wastewater entered the channel just north of Jesse Bohls Road and to the east, city officials said. Cleanup efforts continue, and are expected complete by end of the day on Friday, officials added.

"Due to the location of the line break, the water flowed downstream to the east, thus there was never a threat to Lake Pflugerville, or people on the City of Pflugerville water supply," officials assured.

While the line's been plugged, residents in close proximity to the spill using water drawn from private water wells are urged to switch to other water sources while the cleanup effort continues. "At this time, no customers have been identified to have wells in that ½-mile radius, and there is not a city boil water notice," city spokeswoman Terri Toledo wrote in an email to Patch.

However: "Any persons using private drinking water supply wells within ½ mile of the spill site or within the potentially affected area should use only water that has been distilled or boiled at a rolling boil for at least one minute for all personal uses including drinking, cooking, bathing and tooth brushing," officials said in their previous advisory.

Moreover, affected residents should have their water sources tested for contamination before resuming their use: "Individuals with private water wells should have their well water tested and disinfected, if necessary, prior to discontinuing distillation or boiling," city officials said. "Persons who purchase water from a public water supply may contact their water supply distributor to determine if the water is safe for personal use."

City officials reiterated the quality of water at Lake Pflugerville was not compromised as a result of the spill: "Lake Pflugerville was not threatened during this incident. The public should avoid contact with waste material, soil or water in the area potentially affected by the spill. If the public comes into contact with waste material, soil or water potentially affected by the spill, they should bathe and wash clothes thoroughly as soon as possible."

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story contained a headline suggesting a boil water notice was issued by the city. While a notice was sent by city officials suggesting some residents boil their water in the leak's aftermath, a formal "boil water notice" was not issued, according to a city spokeswoman. "The notification wording in the press release sent indicates TCEQ recommended wording that anyone with a private well within ½ mile of the leak should boil water as a precaution, but that is different from the issuance of a boil water notice," city spokeswoman Terri Toledo wrote in an email.

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