AGAINST
AGAINST CHILDREN'S UNIT IS INVESTIGATING AND THEY SAY +@TH
PARENTS WERE AT HOME AT THE
TIME OF THE SHOO+@TING.
>>> DO YOU EVER THINK RAINY
DAYS LIKE TODAY STING?
THEY DO BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN
IT RAINS RAW SEWAGE THAT SHOULD
BE FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET ENDS
UP ON THE STREETS.
OUR INVESTIGATOR IS HERE WITH
THE DIRTY TRUTH ABOUT THE SEWER
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. >> Reporter: WE ARE TAKING YOU
INSIDE THE SEWER LINES TO FIND
OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WHAT IS
SUPPOSED TO STAY UNDERGROUND
COMES FLOODING OUT INTO THE
STREETS AND IN ONE CASE INTO A
FRONT YARD.
FRONT YARD. THERE IS A SMELL THAT HE KNOWS.
>> COVER YOUR NOSE UP.
LIKE THIS OR LIKE THIS.
+@STROKE EVERY TIME IT HEAVILY
RAINS-+@
RAINS-+@
RAINS-+@ >> IT IS VERY GROSS.
>> Reporter: WE+@S HELMS OUT HE
IS SUPPOSED TO STAY DOWN HERE.
>> IT MAKES ME WANT TO THROW UP
SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES. >> TISSUE AND DEFECATION AND
EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT
GOES DOWN THE TOI+@LET IS IN +@
YARD.
YARD.
YARD. >>
YARD. >> Reporter: THIS IS WHAT THEIR
YARD LOOKED LIKE DURING THE
RECORD RAINFALL LAST FALL.
>> IT LOOKED MORE LIKE A
SANITARY WASTE +@FIELD.
>> Reporter: IT IS CALLED A
SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW AND IT
IS HAPPENING A LOT ACROSS NORTH
TEXAS.
TEXAS.
TEXAS. IN
TEXAS. IN FORT WORTH, PLANO, CLEBURNE
AND DOZENS OF OTHER CITIES.
WHEN YOU FLUSH THE TOILET THE
WATER IS SUPPOSED TO FLOW
THROUGH UNDERGROUND SEWER LINES
TO A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
WHERE THE NASTY STUFF IS REMOVED
BEFORE EVENTUALLY COMING BACK
OUT YOUR FAUCET.
IF THE UNDERGROUND SEWER LINES
ARE NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED
THEY DEVELOP CRACKS AND GET
DOWNPOURS THE WATER SIN+@KS INT
THE GROUND, THROUGH THE CRACKS
AND FLOODS THE SEWER LINE.
BECAUSE THE RAINWATER COMBINES
WITH TOILET WATER HAS NOWHERE
ELSE TO GO IT SPEWS OUT
MANHOLES. +@
MANHOLES. +@ OFTEN CREATING A MESS IN THE
STREETS.
STREETS.
STREETS. OUR INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED
119 MILLION GALLONS OF SEWAGE
WATER OVERFLOWED IN NORTH TEXAS
LAST YEAR.
LAST YEAR. THAT IS FIVE TIMES MORE THAN
THE AMOUNT THAT OVERFLOWED IN
ALL OF THE REST OF THE ENTIRE
STATE LAST YEAR.
THAT IS ENOUGH SEWAGE TO FILL
ALMOST HALF THE 100 TWO-STORY
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING ONE OF
NEW YORK'S TALLEST SKYSCRAPERS.
>> I TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
>> Reporter: SO DOES THE EPA.
THE AGENCY SAYS THE BACTERIA
AND VIRUSES IN THESE OVERFLOWS
MAY CAUSE DISEASES RANGING IN
+@
MAY CAUSE DISEASES RANGING IN SEVERITY FROM MILD GASTRO UNTIL
LIFE-THREATENING AILMENTS.
LIFE-THREATENING AILMENTS. OFFICIALS WITH CITY WATER
+@ SYSTEMS ARE OFTEN QUICK TO
CLAIM THAT THESE OVERFLOWS ARE
NOT A THREAT TO DRINKING WATER
BECAUSE THE SEWAGE IS TREATED
BEFORE IT COMES OUT YOUR FAUCET.
EXPERTS SAY THE BIGGER CONCERN
IS SWIMMING IN LAKES DOWNSTREAM
OF THESE OVERFLOWS.
>> BY THE TIME IT GETS DOWN
THERE IT IS VERY LIMITED, IT IS
NOT THING THAT SHOULD HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: YOU PROBABLY WANT
TO KNOW WHERE ALL THAT SEWAGE
AND THAT.
AND THAT.
AND THAT. LAKE RAY HUBBARD TOPS THE
CHARTS.
CHARTS.
CHARTS. 14 MILLION GALLONS WINTON LAST
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. GOOD YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING
WHERE THE +@SEWAGE IS COMING FR.
+@
WHERE THE +@SEWAGE IS COMING FR. ALMOST EVERY WATER SYSTEM
ACROSS NORTH TEXAS.
SOME MORE THAN OTHERS.
THE SINGLE LARGEST OVERFLOW IN
THE ST+@ATE HAPPENED IN GARLAND
EVEN THOUGH THE STATE
CLASSIFIED IT AS A SEWAGE
OVERFLOW GARLAND MAINTAINS-
>> WE DID NOT HAVE ANY R+@AW
SEWER WATER LEAVE THE PLANT.
>> Reporter: THE WATER WENT
FROM THE PLANT INTO THIS NEARBY
CREEK.
CREEK.
CREEK. EVENTUALLY WENT INTO THE LAKE.
WE CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT EFFECT
IT HAD ON THE LAKE BECAUSE
GARLAND CITY OFFICIALS FAILED
TO NOTIFY OTHER LOCAL
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO
WOULD'VE BEEN THE ONES TO
TESTED.
TESTED.
TESTED. >> THAT WAS A FAILURE ON OUR
PART.
PART.
PART. >>
PART. >> Reporter: THE TRINITY RIVER
AUTHORITY HAD 25 MILLION GALLONS
OVERFLOW LAST YEAR.
THAT IS MORE SEWAGE OVERFLOW
THAN ANY OTHER WATER SYSTEM IN
THE ENTIRE STATE.
>> OVERFLOWS ARE A PROBLEM FOR
ALL WASTEWATER UTILITY
PROVIDERS AND LAST YEAR WAS A
+@
+@ VERY
+@ VERY WET YEAR.
>> Reporter: THAT IS WHY 50s
ARE RACING TO REPAIR THE SEWER
LINES.
LINES.
LINES. WHAT YOU SEE IS FROM A CAME+@RA
INSIDE A+@N UNDERGROUND SEWER.
ABOVEGROUND WORKERS ARE LOOKING
FOR FLAWS IN +@THE PIPE DOWN
UNDER.
UNDER.
UNDER. IT+@ IS PART OF THE 900 THOUSAN
DOLLARS PROJECT MONEY THE CITY
SAYS IS WORTH THE PRICE BECAUSE
IF YOU, THE FEWER+@ TIMES WE WI
SEE THIS.
SEE THIS.
SEE THIS. IF YOU FREQUENT A CERTAIN RIVER
OR LAKE OR PERHAPS HAVE A CREEK
RUNNING THROUGH YOUR BACKYARD,
GO TO OUR