News detail Title

New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) responded to a sanitary sewer overflow early Wednesday morning after a storm system appeared to have caused a temporary power outage at the Rio Bar Screen Facility, located at 470 Rio Lane. The outage resulted in an unauthorized discharge of an estimated 550,000 gallons of wastewater into the Guadalupe River north of Lake Dunlap.   

The power outage started around 1 a.m. and was restored at approximately 4 a.m., stopping the wastewater discharge. Once aware of the situation, crews responded immediately to contain the release, minimize environmental impacts and begin cleanup and monitoring efforts. Cleanup activities include disinfecting affected areas and collecting upstream and downstream water samples to verify effective mitigation and support reporting requirements with state regulatory agencies. 

There is no impact on NBU’s drinking water system. We recognize how important our river system is to our community, local businesses and tourism. Based on initial observations, the spill appears to have been significantly diluted by stormwater runoff and river flow conditions. However, all recreational river use should follow local guidelines. 

NBU is communicating with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and following all required reporting and notification procedures related to the incident. Additionally, NBU is coordinating with the City of New Braunfels, neighboring agencies and downstream water purveyors to inform them of the occurrence.  

For more information, view our Water Notice page.