MESQUITE, Texas — The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) says a power outage caused about 417,000 gallons of wastewater to overflow at the South Mesquite Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The plant is located at 3500 Lawson Road about two miles north of Interstate 20.
An Oncor power line failure combined with the storms that moved through early Sunday morning contributed to the overflow, which NTMWD said began around 9:15 a.m. at the South Mesquite plant.
The agency said its backup generator also failed. However, around 12:15 p.m. NTMWD said crews restored the generator prompting the overflow to stop.
"Personnel from Oncor are onsite conducting repairs to restore the plant to full power," NTMWD said in a news release.
The overflow flowed into South Mesquite Creek, diluted by stormwater. The creek flows into the East Fork of the Trinity River, but NTMWD said there hasn't been any environmental impact so far.
The agency said the spill does not impact the NTMWD potable water system; drinking water delivered by NTMWD is safe to use and drink.
"The water supplied by your local municipality, whether directly through your faucet or provided to a wholesale customer, is safe to drink and may be used for personal use," the agency said in a news release.
However, residents who use private drinking water supply wells within 1/2 mile of the spill site are advised to boil their water before using it.
The City of Fort Worth also said overnight heavy rain caused a sewage overflow from the city's water collection system at three locations.
- 2300 W. Peter Smith St. - 16,050 gallons
- 2200 Colonial Pkwy. - 9,250 gallons
- 1500 S. University Dr. - 82,350 gallons
The city said the overflows did not impact Fort Worth’s drinking water.
"The water utility has notified the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and required elected officials of these discharges," the city said in a news release.
Residents who use private drinking water supply wells within 1/2 mile of the spill site are advised to boil their water before using it.
