Heavy Rainfall Produces Wastewater Collection Line Over Flows

Irving-Heavy rainfall on Friday, February 24 and Saturday, February 25 caused four separate wastewater over flows from the Trinity River Authority of Texas’ Elm Fork collection system.  

Wastewater lines are customarily built adjacent to streams, on this occasion the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, to enable wastewater to flow by gravity to treatment facilities. When rainfall and flood water cover collection lines and manholes water is able to enter or infiltrate into the collection lines. Over flows occur when the combined volume of wastewater and rainfall exceed the capacity of the line. 

While highly undesirable the impact was minimized on this occasion by the volume of flood water in both the collection line and the Elm Fork of the Trinity River which ultimately received a portion of the wastewater over flow.

Over flows occurred in three locations in Irving and one in Grand Prairie immediately adjacent to TRA’s Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The first three over flows upstream of the treatment facility occurred from approximately 9:30 A.M. on Saturday, February 25 until 6:00 A.M. on Sunday, February 26. At each of these locations an estimated 141,000 gallons of wastewater was discharged from the collection line and ultimately entered the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.

The first Irving location was from a lift station in the vicinity of Century Boulevard and International Parkway. The second was from a manhole in the vicinity of SH-183 and Grauweyler. The third was from a meter station at the end of East Proctor Road east of Union Bower.

Planning, design and construction is under way to provide better service to facilities in this area.

The over flow in Grand Prairie immediately adjacent to the treatment plant was fully contained in a large pit that had been dug as part of a construction project that is under way. The over flow from a junction box on the east side of the treatment plant took place from approximately 6 A.M. on Saturday, February 25 until 4:30 A.M. on Sunday, February 26. It was possible to ultimately return all of this over flow, an estimated 1.2 million gallons, to the treatment plant for processing.

No public drinking water supplies were threatened or contaminated by any of these over flows. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires all wastewater over flows in excess of 100,000 gallons to be reported to themselves, the public and other designated public officials.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
                Chapter 319 – General Regulations Incorporated Into Permits
                Rule Log No. 99031-319-WT

                 Figure: 30 TAC §319.303

NOTICE OF SPILL FROM A WASTEWATER FACILITY

 A spill from a wastewater treatment or collection facility has occurred.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPILL

Facility Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Contact for further information:___________________________________________________________

Location of the spill: 1. Century Blvd & International Pkwy, (Irving)_______________________________

                                     2.  SH 183 & Grauweyler (Irving)________________________________________

                                     3.   E. Proctor Rd at Union Bower (Irving)_________________________________ 

                                     4.  East side of Treatment Plant (Grand Prairie)_____________________________

Estimated time and date of spill:  Locations 1 – 3: 9:30 a.m. on 2/25/06 until 6:00 a.m. on 2/26/06______

                                                          Location 4: 6:00 a.m. on 2/25/06 until 4:30 a.m. on 2/26/06__________ 

Estimated volume of the spill (number of gallons):  Locations 1 – 3: 141,000 gallons_________________

                                                                                          Location 4: 1,200,000 gallons____________________ 

Type of spill: (domestic) (industrial) (other) Explain other:  Domestic______________________________ 

Area potentially affected: Elm Fork, Main Stem Trinity River____________________________________ 

Suspected cause of spill: Inflow and Infiltration______________________________________________

THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN:

x  Appropriate local governmental officials have been notified
    x      TCEQ regional office has been notified
    x      The spill has been contained (Grand Prairie location only)
    o        Increased monitoring of water supply systems has been initiated
    o        The cause of the spill has been corrected
    o        Clean-up activities are underway/completed
    o        Other____________________________________________________________________________

 
For more information contact John Jadrosich or Debbie Bronson at (817) 467-4343