HUTTO – After an alert resident reported a strong fuel smell coming from a storm water drain near her home on Steven Street, a full contingent of city and county resources leapt into action.
“It’s really crucial to our health that we take every action we can to keep waste from entering these systems,” said Hutto’s Emergency Management Director Jake Isbell. “It can definitely impact human health, safety and our environment as a whole. It can harm drinking water sources. It can damage infrastructure.”
Isbell explained that in this instance the contamination was stopped before it could spread to any of Hutto’s drinking water sources.
The fuel odor was reported May 30 and Hutto Fire Rescue, Emergency Services District 3, was first on the scene, according to Isbell. He said that after stabilizing the site ESD No. 3 contacted Hutto Police Department to investigate the incident. The city’s emergency management department was alerted to begin the hazardous materials protocols, the public works department came to evaluate infrastructure damage, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was notified and CS Environmental Solutions, a local hazardous materials remediation company, was called out.
“ESD No. 3 confirmed diesel fuel was on the roadway, in the storm drain and running off into a thicket of trees. They immediately employed hazardous material booms, a product that absorbs contaminants, to mitigate forward progress of the fuel and prevent the contaminated area from getting bigger,” Isbell said.
The illegal fuel dumping, which is under investigation, was estimated at about 25 gallons. The public works department found that the diesel had already begun to break down the strength of the asphalt, so a portion of the street had to be removed and sent for hazardous material disposal. They determined the runoff also penetrated the storm water system and the surrounding grass.
Treatment of the affected areas began on May 31. CS Environmental Solutions applied a hydrocarbondegrading bacteria product from Round Rock-based Micro-Bac International which was developed as a cost-effective way to permanently destroy fuel-based contaminants in place.
Isbell said samples of non-affected soil were taken from near the spill so that it can be compared to the contaminated soil after treatment to assure the clean-up was effective.
“We’re confident these first efforts will get great results, so we’re really committed to this process. All in all, this is expected to be complete by June 25 as long as no additional remediation is required,” he said.
The director credited the fast response of all concerned in containing the incident.
“I think it’s important, on the record, to thank the resident who reported this,” he said, also mentioning his appreciation for all the agencies that collaborated on resolving the issue. “It’s an excellent testament to our commitment to keeping the people of Hutto safe and keeping Hutto beautiful.”
Hutto’s illicit discharge ordinance prohibits the direct and indirect discharge of pollutants into the storm water system. Violating the illicit discharge ordinance can result in a criminal penalty of $500 to $2,000 per violation, per day. Williamson County charges fines up to $100,000 and some cases may incur up to five years in jail.
While occurrences of fuel dumping in Hutto are rare, many people unwittingly violate the city’s ordinance regularly by dumping motor vehicle fluids, household cleaners, garbage, yard trimmings, construction site debris, pet waste and even used cooking oil into the storm drains.
Mindy McDonough, Hutto’s regulatory compliance manager, encourages residents to visit the city website to learn more about stormwater pollution measures they can take.
“The city of Hutto strives to be good stewards of the environment with the help of our citizens. Not only does the city want to educate citizens on how to prevent storm water pollution, but the city encourages citizens to report any spills, leaks, or discharges into our storm sewer system that are not composed entirely of rainwater, she said.
Isbell said that according to a 2020 report by the Environmental Protection Agency, 292 million tons of municipal waste is produced annually in the United States.
“One point six million tons of that waste is hazardous, including oven cleaners, cooking grease, car oil, batteries, solvents and paint,” he said. “It’s causing an impact. We can take action by making conscious consumer decisions to reduce our use of in-home hazardous materials.”
