Through inspections of the Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater System's network of interceptors, Round Rock Utility Director Michael Thane said crews have identified a total of eight sources of ground and surface water entering the system and accounting for up to 3.5 million gallons a day in excess. City crews are working to repair these leaks, as remaining wastewater interceptors are inspected by camera and chemical analysis, as smaller leaks are found and identified for repair.
Three of the larger leaks are in lines near Chandler Creek, Brushy Creek and at Gattis School Road and Greenlawn Boulevard, Thane said.
"It's a lot of work to figure out where the needle in the haystack is," Thane said. "We didn't find the one spot that I was hoping for. I was hoping we would find a spot where there's just four million gallons just pouring in. We're still looking at some of those areas [of the system]. There may be something still out there. But we have found significant flow."
Thane said the city has been in constant contact with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as it works to identify sources of excess inflow and make repairs to its wastewater system.
The city first announced issues with its wastewater treatment plant March 4. At that time, excess treated wastewater effluent was entering Brushy Creek due to the extra surface and groundwater entering its system and overwhelming the plant's clarifiers.
Thane said his department is taking immediate and proactive measures to improve the system.
"We have seven flow meters we're going to install in strategic locations in the system," Thane said. "[It] will not help us with this project, but it's going to help us monitor the entire regional interceptor system."
This is an ongoing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
