Hurricane Harvey Water Discussion TCEQ Trade Fair May

Hurricane Harvey - Water Discussion TCEQ Trade Fair: May, 2018 Brittney Teakell, Drinking Water Quality Team Leader Drinking Water Standards Section- Water Supply Division

Just for perspective…

• Office closures and telephone coverage • Water/Wastewater status (Were the systems operable? ) • Dam Safety

As Harvey headed out on August 30, 2017… • Corpus Christi office in the process of re-opening. • Houston, and Beaumont Regional Offices remain closed. • Rain had subsided in Houston and Beaumont, but due to water releases from dams upstream, water levels in the cities continue to rise. • Beaumont remained inaccessible from surrounding areas due to road and highway flooding.

• Water Supply and Water Quality Divisions, and Region 10 contact drinking/wastewater systems in the affected county. • Inoperable systems summary: • Drinking Water: 53 • Wastewater: 22 • Total 75 • Boil Water Notices: • Active: 185 • Rescinded: 3 • Total: 188 • Tracked until all systems in “green status” in Response Manager • Conference Calls regarding utility statuses continued until October.

• At Approximately 2: 00 am on August 31, 2017, the City of Beaumont’s drinking water distribution system was completely de-watered. • The Ground Water Treatment Plant (GWTP) in Loeb, Texas was under approximately 7 -8 feet of water. • The raw water pumps located on the Neches River were also under several feet of water.

Raw water pumps at Lawson’s Crossing

Groundwater plant at Loeb, TX

• On September 1, 2017, the Beaumont Region Office re-opened with limited staff and no water. • On September 2, 2017, the City issued a Boil Water Notice. • On September 3, 2017, the Beaumont Region Office regained intermittent low water pressure. • The City of Beaumont was providing daily updates to the TCEQ regarding the Surface Water Treatment Plant (SWTP) status.

• Beaumont got a lucky break, and then got creative… • • • A local industrial facility donated pumps to serve as temporary pumps until the City’s raw water pumps at Lawson’s Crossing were no longer flooded. As the water receded, the City had to continually move the pumps. Eventually, a barge was created to house the pumps at the temporary pull point, then the City just had to add more piping to transport the water to the plant.

Beaumont’s barge

• On September 6, 2017, Beaumont opened the door to TCEQ’s TOP team to provide guidance and gather information. • • • Field tests were performed for process control. Pressure and turbidity data was gathered. Information needed by the TCEQ Plan Review Team was gathered for the emergency temporary authorization for the alternative pull point. • Emergency temporary authorization for the alternative pull point was issued to Beaumont by e-mail on the evening of September 6, 2017.

Lawson’s Crossing raw water pump station reactivated September 6, 2017!

• On September 7, 2017, representatives of EPA and the National Guard and additional TCEQ employees joined the TOP team on-site to provide guidance. • • • Toured GWTP and SWTP to evaluate damage. Process control data reviewed. A plan was created for lifting the boil water notice. • On September 8, 2017, TCEQ TOP and R 10 returned to the SWTP to review the process control data and preliminary sample results gathered to rescind the boil water notice.

On Saturday, September 9, 2017, at 1: 11 p. m…. The Boil Water Notice was rescinded!

Meanwhile at Rose City… • The City had no water service until October 6, 2017. • Bottled water and bulk water was made available at City Hall. • Many people were living in tents outside of their destroyed homes.

Chemical room damage- note the water line!

Lab damage- note the water line!

• Preliminary visits made by Charlie Branch after the storm. • On September 13, 2017, TCEQ R 10 employees were deployed to the plant to make a preliminary assessment of the plant’s condition.

• An extensive, technical assessment of the plant and the City’s needs was conducted on September 14 -15, 2017 by the TOP team. • A list of immediate, critical infrastructure needs was provided to the City, FEMA, USCAE, and the City’s contractor. • Multiple visits were made by the TOP and Beaumont Region to provide assistance to the City of Rose City from September to December, 2017 • September 27, - October 1; October 3 -5; October 19; December 5 -6; and December 9 -11. • Additional assistance provided by phone on many dates not listed above.

Friday, December 22, 2017, at 9: 30 a. m… The Boil Water Notice was rescinded!

The TCEQ Central and Regional Offices came together after Harvey to track the statuses of and provide assistance to all of the affected public drinking water and wastewater systems in Texas. Beaumont and Rose City were not the only significantly impacted water systems after Harvey. Similar scenarios played out all over the affected area. Many water systems were inactivated because of damage to the neighborhoods or systems. We are still providing assistance to systems that have limited capabilities as a result of the storm.

Brittney Teakell 512 -239 -4392 Brittney. Teakell@tceq. texas. gov