FORT WORTH, Texas — It's an effect of the flooding you don't always think about, but it happens and it's gross.
"It's diluted raw sewage, but it is raw sewage," said Mary Gugliuzza, of the Fort Worth Water Department, as we looked at water coming out of two manholes on University Drive.
Gugliuzza said there's so much rainwater that it's forced its way into sewage lines through cracks in the pipes.
"The rainwater is mixing with the sewage that the pipes are designed to carry," she said.
And because it has nowhere else to go, the sewage mixture is spewing out of manholes and creating a mess. Gugliuzza estimated the sewage situation is happening at at least 20 locations throughout the city but she says Fort Worth is far from the only city having this issue.
HD Chopped 8 flew over Plano Tuesday, where the city says wastewater is flowing into White Rock Creek for the same reason. And because of the incredible flooding in Cleburne, they're dealing with sanitary sewer overflow, too. Dallas is in the same boat and the TCEQ says Denton reported one Tuesday, too, and Arlington reported one Friday.
"This is the reality of floods," Gugliuzza said.
She says this is not affecting our drinking water, but urges people to stay away if you see water coming out of manholes, a likely sign it's sewage. She'd like people to call those in if it appears crews haven't roped them off yet.
On University Drive at I-30, two lanes are blocked off because they don't want cars sloshing through it. It's also dangerous because the manholes are popped, Gugliuzza said.
If you come into contact with the sewage water, wash it off; and know that the more it rains, the more you'll see these type of scenes.