Galveston officials are investigating a sewage overflow at the Airport Wastewater Facility that spilled 2,500 gallons into a canal on Labor Day, prompting warnings and plans for system upgrades.
On Labor Day, about 2,500 gallons of sewage overflowed from the Airport Wastewater Facility into a ditch near Galveston Island. The city is now looking into what happened.
The accident happened early Monday and sent brown sludge into the waterway near Moody Gardens and the Island Bay Apartment Complex, the city said. To limit and clean up the spill, crews used vacuum trucks and other tools. By 1 p.m., most of the work was done.
People who lived nearby said they could see the sewage along the canal's edges. Residents Melissa Hall and John Smith were both worried about the wildlife and the boats that use the canal because there was so much water. "They are swimming in sewage and do not even know it."
Heavy rain and a lot of people in the city on Labor Day may have put a strain on the wastewater system, according to city leaders. It was required by state law to tell the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about the spill.
Multiple places along the canal's water are being tested, and people are being asked not to swim in the area until further notice.
To keep this from happening again, Galveston officials said they would staff the facility around the clock and add new monitoring technology that would help them handle peak traffic better. "This was a bad thing that happened, but we are taking steps right away to fix it," city officials said.
Environmentalists warned that sewage spills can hurt the environment in the short term and put people's health at risk by exposing them to contaminated water. The city said it would keep people informed as more test results come in.
According to city records, there have been plans to make improvements to the Airport Wastewater Facility in the past.
Officials say the new changes will focus on making sure the system can handle large increases in demand in the future.
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