Recent rains and a pump failure at the Stewart Creek West wastewater treatment plant caused three sanitary sewer manhole overflows on Dec. 28. However city officials say the overflows do not affect city drinking water and pose no threat to public health.

“These overflows are not related to our water system nor affect our drinking water supply,” Director of Public Works Gary Hartwell said in a news release. “After the overflows subsided, the areas were tested for water quality and no related health hazards were identified.”

The runoff is a combination of storm water from the more than 4 inches of rain that fell Dec. 26-28 and diluted wastewater.

Public Works employees discovered the overflowing manholes at three locations Dec. 28 during routine inspections of the city’s wastewater collection system, according to the city’s news release. All three manholes are in open fields.

City officials said the Stewart Creek West Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion that is underway will help to alleviate future overflow incidents. The wastewater treatment plant is operated by the North Texas Municipal Water District.