La Volla Creek Wastewater Overflow

Was there any immediate danger to the public, and was there flooding in the La Volla Creek area?

No, there was not any immediate danger to the public, and the Police Department reported there was no flooding in that area. Also, the overflow did not affect the City of Corpus Christi public drinking water supply.

 

What is the extent of the overflow, and how much was leaked into the creek?

The overflow and amount that leaked into the creek was approximately 250,000 gallons.

 

What time did the power outage occur, and when was power restored?

The power outage occurred at 12:40am, and power was restored at 10:15am on 03/19/16.

 

What kind of sampling was done by the City in response to this leak?

The City collected bacteriological and chemical samples at the site of the overflow as well as upstream and downstream from the overflow.

 

What is the required timeline to send out public notification and how long did it take for the City to do so?

Based on Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) guidelines, the City must issue a public notification for sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) within 24 hours after having knowledge of an overflow of at least 100,000 gallons along with signage alerting the public. The City issued a public notification within 7 hours to the TCEQ, assessed the site and volume of the SSO, put up signage, and issued a news release within 9 hours after having knowledge the overflow exceeded 100,000 gallons.

 

What direction does the creek flow, and in which direction did the overflow go?

The creek flows from the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) southeast into La Volla Creek, and downstream towards Oso Creek, which is the direction of the overflow.

 

Are we currently working at the spill site to contain the leak?

No, after power was restored, the leak ceased. City crews have worked to clean up the site since the power restoration and cessation of the leak.

 

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