SAWS cleans up sewage spill in Texas and continues monitoring

Drinking water and sewage utility San Antonio Water System (SAWS) has cleaned-up a sewer spill in north-east San Antonio, US, near the Starcrest and Wurzbach Parkway.

The spill at the Salado Creek Water Recycling Center was the result of rainwater infiltration.

It had led a 12in sewer main and a 36-inch sewer main to overflow more than 100,000gal of wastewater in the area.

SAWS spokesperson Anne Hayden was quoted by San Antonio Express-News as saying: "(Currently) we’re trying to retain it, pump it out and transfer it to a bypass line.

"Somehow rain got into the sewer lines and with the additional flow of the rain, it didn’t allow the sewer to stay in line.

"Rain infiltration is something that we do not like to have happen."

Overflows have already stopped and ammonia level checks have been found to be at zero.

SAWS said: "No adverse impacts from the spill have been observed along Salado Creek."

However, the utility will be monitoring the area and the sewer lines to check for any further issues.

Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) in Kentucky, US, had also been working to cover a sewer spill into the South Fork of Beargrass Creek by the end of last month.

The MSD crew had to work throughout the New Year’s Eve to cover up the hole created by a four foot leaking underground pipe.

The sewer main collapse on Phillips Lane had to be repaired, which the crew had to stop Nightingale Pumping Station near Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve from operating. This had then caused the spill, resulting in 50,000gal of wastewater to seep into the creek.