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Raw Sewage Overflows Into Texas River

Posted on: Thursday, 1 April 2004, 06:00 CST

IRVING, Texas - A faulty gate at a wastewater treatment plant backed up millions of gallons of raw sewage, causing a smelly mess that flowed into a river, shot manholes into the air and closed a park.

State and federal environmental regulators were reviewing what caused the problem at the Trinity River Authority's east Grand Prairie plant, blocking all sewage from getting into the site for a half-day Wednesday.

The force of the flow launched at least eight manholes skyward, geysers of sewage rose as high as four feet, and part of a golf course and a park were closed.

"Take the worst thing you've ever smelled and multiply it by 10," said golfer Len Stahly, 71.

Nearly 70 million gallons of raw sewage backed up, and about 3 million gallons of it flowed into the river, officials said Thursday.

Officials had feared the sewage would lower oxygen levels in the water and threaten fish downstream, but that did not happen, said Frank Espino, regional director for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The blocked gate was initially raised with cranes and cables, but crews eventually fixed the problem by opening the plant's only other gate, which had been closed for construction, spokesman John Jadrosich said.

The Trinity River Authority serves some 20 cities, including Dallas and Fort Worth. The plant processes as much as 140 million gallons of sewage daily.

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On the Net:

http://www.trinityra.org

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