HOUSTON — Wednesday morning's heavy rainfall led to what the City of Houston said was an equipment failure that caused an accidental spill of more than 100,000 gallons of wastewater from a treatment plant on the east side of town.
It happened at the 69th Street Wastewater Treatment Plant along Buffalo Bayou.
Because of the spill, city officials said people who use private wells that are within a half-mile of the spill site should boil their water or use distilled water for drinking, cooking, bathing and brushing their teeth. Before using their well water again without boiling, they should get the water tested to be sure it's safe.
They also said water supplied by Houston is safe and there’s no need for people who use it to boil water.
Here’s a map of where the treatment plant is.
People who buy water from a public water supply should contact their distributor to find out if the water is safe. Also, avoid contact with soil or water in the affected area and don’t swim there.
If you do come in contact with an area you think is contaminated, you should bathe and wash your clothes very thoroughly.
The city said work is underway to clean and disinfect the area. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and other local agencies have been notified.