BELL COUNTY, Texas – UPDATE: The sewer spill into Nolan Creek, west of the Temple-Belton Wastewater Treatment Plant, has been stopped.

This now allows for repairs to be made to the force main. The City of Belton notified the public on Wednesday about the broken main resulting in an unauthorized sewage discharge into Nolan Creek.

It is estimated the discharge is 1.3 million gallons, based on average flow data from the plant.

The Brazos River Authority raised awareness about the leak on Wednesday morning, which was discovered due to abnormally low sewage flows into the treatment plant.

A work crew was assigned to the site, which immediately began assessing how to fix the leak, and consulted with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to assure proper notifications would be made to the agency and the public.

A sewage pump truck was deployed to temporarily stop the leak. Flow from the force main was then diverted to an existing force main to allow a repair to be made without further impacting the flow of sewage into the plant.

It is unclear what caused the leak to occur.

Below is the original text from this story:

The City of Belton reports a break in a sewer line has resulted in the discharge of more than 100,000 gallons of sewage with some of it getting into Nolan Creek.

Spokesman Paul Romer said the city is working to repair the line which is near the Temple-Belton Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Romer said the discharge is on private property and the property owner has been notified.

A statement issued by the city says the public should avoid contact with creek water that is downstream from the treatment plant and should not ingest the water.

If someone comes in contact with the water, the person should bathe and thoroughly wash clothes as soon as possible.

Additionally, fisherman should avoid any dead or dying fish. If a fisherman in the area catches a fish that he or she intends to consume make sure it is properly cleaned and thoroughly cooked.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been notified about the discharge, and a remediation plan is in development.

Written by Roland Richter