GEORGETOWN, Texas — Georgetown officials are warning residents to avoid contact with water in the San Gabriel River after a major wastewater line failure spilled more than 100,000 gallons of untreated sewage into the water.
City water utility crews discovered the overflow at 10 a.m. Monday while investigating irregular conditions at the Wolf Ranch lift station, according to a statement from the city.
The investigation led to the discovery of a failed 42-inch wastewater line in the south fork of the San Gabriel River about a quarter mile west of I-35, behind the Wolf Ranch Shopping Center.
A section of the South San Gabriel River Trail has been closed to pedestrians. The public should avoid contact with water through San Gabriel Park and Blue Hole Park, officials said.
“I want to reassure our water customers that our water remains safe for consumption,” City Manager David Morgan said. “Please avoid the area and river water through the San Gabriel and Blue Hole parks while we work to isolate and repair the wastewater line.”
Emergency repair crews were dispatched and work is ongoing.
The timeline and cause of the line break have not been determined. The city reported the spill to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
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Officials advised that persons using private drinking water wells within a half mile of the spill site should use only distilled or boiled water for all personal uses. Anyone who comes into contact with waste material, soil or water in the affected area should bathe and wash clothes thoroughly.