Houston Bayous Suffers Massive Sewage Spill After Storm

Private water well users in downtown Houston are under a boil water advisory after a 154,000-gallon spill of “domestic wastewater” at 800 Commerce Street.

Heavy rains from Hurricane Beryl, combined with prolonged power outages, caused the oil spill at the confluence of Buffalo and White Oak bayous. Houston Public Works said in a news release that it is gradually monitoring the situation and has alerted the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The department has recommended that residents who use private wells within a kilometre of the spill should bring their water to a rolling boil for at least one minute for all personal uses, including drinking, cooking, bathing and brushing teeth. Public information officer Erin Jones told the Chron that the spill is likely to affect very few people since most residents in the area do not have private wells. The boil water advisory is for private wells and is a mandatory notification required by the TCEQ, Jones said.

“If you receive your drinking water from the City of Houston, your water is safe from this spill and you do not need to boil your water,” Houston Public Works said.

“The public should avoid contact with waste, soil or water in the area potentially affected by the spill to determine if the water is safe for personal use,” the ministry said. If the public comes into contact with waste, soil or water potentially affected by the spill, they should bathe and wash their clothes thoroughly as soon as possible.”