Water Main Break in Austin Raises Environmental Alarm After Hundreds of Dead Fish Found in Bull Creek

Austin, Texas: Water Main Break Causes Environmental Concerns

A water main break that occurred in northwest Austin on Monday has been repaired, but it has left behind serious environmental worries for the nearby Bull Creek. The break, which happened on Spicewood Springs Road, sent treated water spraying into the air, leading to significant damage to the local ecosystem. Residents have reported discovering hundreds of dead fish floating in the waters of Bull Creek following the incident.

Jonathan Kirtland, a local resident, shared his thoughts as he waded through ankle-deep water at the creek. “You can smell that fishy smell. It’s disgusting,” he said while pointing at the lifeless fish, including dead perches and largemouth bass. Kirtland explained that the creek has always felt like a large backyard to the community. “My brothers and I would come out here during the summer, explore the wilderness, learn about the plants, learn about the animals,” he recalled. Kirtland emphasized the creek’s unique ecosystem, which he believes is increasingly at risk due to rapid development in Austin.

The Impact on the Ecosystem

Kirtland is deeply concerned about the ecosystem that Bull Creek supports. “You have these beautiful, unique habitats where only certain animals can live in their pockets that are preserved,” he noted. He warned that disrupting the natural flow of the environment can lead to an unbalanced ecosystem, which is exactly what happened after the water main break.

On Tuesday, Kirtland discovered hundreds of dead fish scattered along a half-mile stretch of the creek. While the water from the breakpoint was treated with chlorine to make it safe for human consumption, Kirtland believes that it is dangerous for wildlife. “It hurts. It’s sad. You don’t want to see dead things. It might just be a tiny, little, dumb fish that has died, but it is more than that, right? It is like an entire ecosystem,” he reflected.

Ongoing Investigations and Community Response

Bobby Levinski, an attorney from Save Our Springs, emphasized the broader implications of the water main break. “It is a source of water, not only for Austin, but downstream, as well. There’s also 700 species that call Bull Creek home,” he stated. Levinski pointed out the need for proper fines and mitigation measures to restore the habitat as quickly as possible.

Bull Creek itself is designated as a protected body of water, as it flows into the Colorado River, a vital resource for the city of Austin. In light of the incident, both the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Austin Watershed Department were contacted for comments. TCEQ reported that they received multiple complaints and dispatched crews to inspect the water on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the Austin Watershed team stated that they had performed three inspections since the water main break, noting high turbidity levels, but initially did not find any dead fish. However, by Wednesday, they confirmed the presence of hundreds of dead fish.

Kirtland expressed his gratitude for the quick response from government agencies. “It takes that community interest in preserving things. It’s not just the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, it’s not just Texas Parks and Wildlife,” he said. “It has to be people who are invested in little Bull Creek … In the little fish.”

Both TCEQ and Austin Watershed have indicated that investigations into the incident are ongoing, as they work to assess potential impacts on the local ecosystem.