TYLER, Texas — Severe thunderstorms caused nearly 4 million gallons of domestic sewage to spill from Westside Treatment Plant in Tyler.
According to the city of Tyler, the discharge was caused by widespread damage to power lines that created a power outage on both directional feed lines at the Westside Treatment Plant.
The spill is estimated at 3,953,070 gallons and happened at 14792 County Road 46 in Tyler. Officials believe the spill happened from Monday at 10:30 p.m. to Tuesday at 4 a.m. The potentially affected area is Black Fork Creek south of the Westside Treatment Plant.
Local governmental officials have been notified and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been told as well. The spill has been contained. Cleanup efforts are underway. Oncor said it could take three days to restore full power to the plant.
People should take the following precautions:
- Don’t swim in the affected area's streams, ponds, or lakes.
- Persons using private drinking water supply wells located within half a mile of the spill site or 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. Individuals with private water wells should have their well water tested and disinfected, if necessary, before discontinuing distillation or boiling.
- The public should avoid contact with waste material, soil, or water in the area potentially affected by the spill.