Heavy rainfall across the Dallas/Fort Worth area caused a sanitary sewer overflow March 20 from two manholes in the 1400 block of South Loop 12 in Irving.
No public drinking water supplies were threatened or contaminated by this overflow. Its impact was minimized by large quantities of storm water that served to dilute wastewater in the collection lines and the Trinity River.
Five to six inches of heavy rainfall overloaded the Trinity River Authority’s Central Regional Wastewater System, creating backups within Irving’s wastewater collection system. This situation warranted the reporting to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the public and other designated public officials.
During heavy rain events such as those recently experienced in the DFW area, it is common for storm water from overflowing creeks to cover manholes and underground wastewater pipes. Water is then able to enter the lines through cracks and openings. When this happens, pipelines become hydraulically overloaded and wastewater spills may occur.
