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Heavy
Rain Causes TRA Sanitary Sewer to Overflow
Cedar
Hill
–
Intense rainfall has caused the hydraulic overload
of a Trinity River Authority wastewater collection
line in Cedar Hill and the subsequent outflow of
untreated wastewater.
During heavy
rain events, such as those experienced recently in
the DFW area, it is common for creeks to rise and
cover the right-of-way of wastewater collection
lines. Storm water is then able to flow into these
lines through inundated manholes and cracks in the
lines. When this occurs the collection lines become
hydraulically over loaded and wastewater spills
occur.
TRA estimates
that over 100,000 gallons escaped from the
collection line in the 400 block of Shady Brook Lane
into Bentle Branch, a tributary of Ten Mile Creek.
This began at 12:30 a.m. on Friday, January 29, 2010
and was continuing at 4:00 p.m. The final volume to
overflow will be reported to the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality.
TRA began
taking water quality samples to document conditions
immediately below the overflow as soon as it was
discovered. The impact of this inadvertent spill was
minimized by storm water diluting wastewater both in
the line and in Ten Mile Creek. No public water
supplies were threatened by this spill.
Wastewater
pipelines are built adjacent to streams and creeks
to take advantage of gravity flow, instead of
relying on lift stations and pressurized pipelines
that require huge amounts of power to move water.
All required
city, county and state officials have been notified
of this event by TRA.
For more information please
contact John Jadrosich at (817) 467-4343.
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:
Ten Mile Creek Regional Wastewater
System
Contact
for further information: John Jadrosich (817)
467-4343
Location of
the spill: 400 block of Shady Brook Lane in the
city of Cedar Hill__________
TRA TMCRWS Interceptor Sect III sta.113+00
Estimated
time and date of spill: 12:30 a.m.
1-29-10
Estimated
volume of the spill (number of gallons): 100,000
as of 1:30 p.m. today______
Type of spill:
(domestic) (industrial) (other) Explain other
Domestic
Area
potentially affected: Bentle Branch Creek in the
city of Cedar Hill_______________
Suspected
cause of spill: Heavy
Rainfall
THE
FOLLOWING ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN:
x
Appropriate local governmental officials have been
notified
x
TCEQ
regional office has been notified
The spill has been contained
Increased monitoring of water supply systems has
been initiated
The
cause of the spill has been corrected
Clean-up activities are underway/completed
Other
As
listed in the Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Outreach
Initiative Final Corrective Action Plan submitted by
the Authority and approved by the Texas Commission
on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Authority
annually performs internal line video inspection and
line cleaning activities. Problem areas identified
are scheduled for corrective action. Also, a relief
project has been identified along the Ten Mile Creek
Interceptor, Section III pipeline that includes the
construction of approximately 11,000 linear feet of
replacement interceptor ranging from 21 to 27-inch
diameter which will add additional capacity to this
pipeline through the Shady Brook Lane location.
Construction for this pipeline relief project is
planned to begin July 2010 with completion in mid
2011
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