Water recreation at White Rock Lake to be restored Sunday
DALLAS – Good news for locals planning to head out to the lake on Sunday.
Water activities will finally resume on White Rock Lake.
Since Tuesday, boating and fishing on the lake have been suspended due to a sewage overflow in Plano. The overflow led to elevated levels of bacteria in the lake water.
But late Saturday, the Dallas Parks & Recreation Department announced it is now allowing water activities to resume Sunday.
Danya Bryant and Karen Churchill came out to enjoy a Saturday at White Rock Lake.
"We were thinking we could have brought our kayaks and paddle out," Dayna Bryant said.
But they didn't know the Dallas Parks & Recreation Department – for the last five days – had been advising people to not boat or fish on the lake after a mechanical failure resulted in 1.5 million gallons of sewage overflow in Plano into White Rock Creek. That creek feeds into White Rock Lake.
"It's a perfect day," Churchill said. "It's kind of sad. We're looking out... we have a sailboat on a different lake... and it's like, 'Why are none of them out there?'"
Dallas Water Utilities began testing the water at White Rock Lake following the sewage overflow. According to a March 22 memo from the deputy city manager, testing found above normal levels of E. coli in White Rock Creek and White Rock Lake, prompting the city to restrict water activities.
"I think it's probably good because it does take a while for it to wash out of the system," Bryant said. "Even though I would go for it, I'm sure it's not safe."
While the Dallas Parks & Recreation Department announced water activities on the lake can resume, some are still questioning why the sewage overflow happened.
In a statement released earlier this week, Dallas City Council member Paula Blackmon said:
"This is unacceptable! These incidents keep happening with regularity. City of Plano and North Texas Municipal Water District need to invest in the maintenance and replacement of sanitary sewer systems that ultimately impact the North Texas region and our downstream cities."
Officials with the North Texas Municipal Water District, which operates the lift station in Plano that malfunctioned, say their wastewater system maintenance was revamped in recent years to prevent sewage overflows like this one.
Plano officials say the city has also taken steps to prevent sewage overflows such as:
- Cleaning "trouble spot" sewer mains
- Inspecting and cleaning a majority of their sewer mains and manholes
- Reinspecting sewer aerial crossings after storms
Meanwhile, plans are for Dallas Water Utilities to continue taking water samples through Friday, March 29.
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ORIGINAL STORY
DALLAS – Water-related activities at White Rock Lake will be restored Sunday.
Activities were suspended earlier in the week after a sanitary sewage overflow in Plano.
According to Dallas Parks & Recreation officials, the decision comes after Dallas Water Utilities found "recent water sampling results are within normal weather related, pre-incident levels."
"Park visitors can enjoy activities like fishing, boating, and rowing," a City of Dallas Parks & Recreation news release said Saturday. "While swimming remains prohibited, the water launch area at White Rock Lake Dog Park is available for pets."
Dallas Park and Recreation said the sewage overflow affected White Rock Creek and White Rock Lake. Officials advised park visitors not to fish or get in the water because elevated levels of bacteria were found in the creek and lake.
Activities for recreational boaters and rowing and yacht clubs were also suspended, according to Dallas Parks & Recreation.
Plans are for Dallas Water Utilities to continue taking water samples through Friday, March 29.
