Lubbock Plastic Media Incident Update: TCEQ Onsite Inspection Conducted

A lot of people are concerned about these little plastic 'doohickeys' that started showing up at Buffalo Springs Lake recently. We got some answers in the form of the following press release from the City of Lubbock.

City Confirms Loss of 'Inert Plastic Media' into Local Waterway After
Recent Heavy Rainfall
City staff working to clean up along riverbanks, shorelines

The City of Lubbock’s Southeast Water Reclamation Plant, located at 37th Street and Guava Avenue, recently experienced a loss of inert small plastic media into the North Fork of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River. This plastic media is related to the treatment of wastewater.

As part of a maintenance operation at the Southeast Water Reclamation Plant, this plastic media was being held in a temporary location outside of the wastewater treatment process when Lubbock received heavy rains. Due to heavy rainfall, a large portion of the plastic media washed into the North Fork of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River upstream of Buffalo Springs Lake. Residents downstream should expect no effects from this plastic media, since they were dry prior to the rainfall event and are inert. The loss of this plastic media did not occur from a sewerage spill or release.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is aware of the loss of media and performed an onsite inspection of the Southeast Water Reclamation Plant on June 10, 2024. TCEQ classified this event as an “unauthorized discharge” due to the loss of the inert plastic media.

City staff and contractors are working diligently to recover the lost plastic media along the riverbanks and shoreline over the next several days as part of the required clean up.

I noticed on my way into work this morning that there were crews all over the lake with nets and big trucks cleaning up all the debris.

As a resident of BSL, I get emails from the lake manager, Brandon Powell, with lake news and updates. Here's what he had to tell residents about the spill:

Residents,
With the help of Commissioner Corley, the City of Lubbock made a press release today. City Confirms Loss of 'Inert Plastic Media' into Local Waterway After Recent Heavy Rainfall City staff working to clean up along riverbanks, shorelines The City of Lubbock’s Southeast Water Reclamation Plant, located at 37th Street and Guava Avenue, recently experienced a loss of inert small plastic media into the North Fork of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River. This plastic media is related to the treatment of wastewater. As part of a maintenance operation at the Southeast Water Reclamation Plant, this plastic media was being held in a temporary location outside of the wastewater treatment process when Lubbock received heavy rains. Due to heavy rainfall, a large portion of the plastic media washed into the North Fork of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River upstream of Buffalo Springs Lake. Residents downstream should expect no effects from this plastic media, since they were dry prior to the rainfall event and are inert. The loss of this plastic media did not occur from a sewerage spill or release. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is aware of the loss of media and performed an onsite inspection of the Southeast Water Reclamation Plant on June 10, 2024. TCEQ classified this event as an “unauthorized discharge” due to the loss of the inert plastic media. City staff and contractors are working diligently to recover the lost plastic media along the riverbanks and shoreline over the next several days as part of the required clean up.

That email was sent on June 13th and he sent this follow-up the next day...

Update

I know you all want to be in the loop immediately and I’m doing my best to keep the communication line open with you all. I have been on the phone all morning with county officials and TCEQ to make sure our oasis is safe. I hear your concerns and am moving as hard and fast as I can. I have requested TCEQ gets guidance from their senior officials about this matter.

The pickup efforts have been underway since Tuesday and the city has maximized their staffing to get this done. Once TCEQ gets back to me, I will advise. I will do my best to advise you all between calls and meetings.

Brandon

Now you know everything that I know!