HOUSTON – Customers of Cinco MUD 1 and people who live nearby were warned Wednesday about a possible spill of wastewater from a treatment plant.
Officials said flooding from Hurricane Harvey may have caused wastewater to spill from the Cinco South Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Cinco MUD 1 near the intersection of Cinco Ranch Boulevard and Cinco Crossing Lane.
Officials said people who use private wells within a half-mile of the spill site or within the affected area should use only water that has been distilled or brought to a rolling boil for at least a minute. This includes water that is used for drinking, cooking, bathing and brushing teeth.
Wells should be tested and disinfected prior to stopping distillation or boiling of the water, officials said.
People who buy water from a public water supply should contact their water supply distributor to determine if the water is safe for personal use, officials said.
Officials said people should avoid contact with wastewater.
After a short drive down the streets of Cinco Ranch, you can see the impact of the high water.
Waterlogged contents sat at the curb.
"Never would I have thought the front of my house was going to be an ocean,” Archana Gadiayar said.
"We got about 7 to 8 inches inside. Cut sheet rock up to about four feet high. Right now we've got all of the baseboards and sheetrock cut down. Flooring to go. Whole bunch to go," Gadiayar said.
Gadiayar lives near the intersection of David’s Crest Court and Benfield Meadows, but her neighbors everywhere felt the impact.
Water also damaged two of the wastewater facilities that serve the area.
Severn Trent said wastewater possibly spilled from the facilities. The damage included the Cinco 1 Central Wastewater Plant that serves MUDs 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12 and 14.
The company said sewer services have not been affected.
The high water and affected the Cinco 1 South Wastewater plant, which serves MUDs 5 through 8.
Customers were asked to reduce activities that require a lot of water use like dish and clothes washing.
However, the company said showering and toilet use were OK.
The alert warned that sewage backups were possible. The company said it would work to fix the facilities as soon as the water goes down.
Severn Trent said all customers served by Cinco 1 have safe drinking water.
