Houston area wastewater treatment plant under investigation by police, Texas officials
KINGWOOD, Texas - Houston police and Texas officials are investigating the Kingwood Central Wastewater Treatment Plant over allegations the operator, Inframark, falsified government documents and compliance samples.
On Friday morning, Houston police served an evidentiary search warrant relating to the investigation.
"Upon investigation, Houston Public Works discovered irregularities in both plant operations and corresponding regulatory compliance data and referred the matter to the HPD’s Environmental Crimes Unit and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Environmental Crimes Unit," said a spokesperson from the City of Houston.
For several weeks, residents who live near the wastewater treatment plant in Kingwood, have complained about an unusually bad odor.
"At times it was worse," said Lori Piowlski, a nearby resident. "I couldn’t even walk. I needed to go home because the smell was that strong. It just makes me worried about what we’re smelling and what’s going on in our bodies as a result."
For one family near the water plant, the smell was so bad, they called an exterminator thinking something was in their home.
"It was that bad," said Joe Primo. "[The exterminator] looked in the attic and said there’s nothing here. The smell [was] coming outside the house and the AC unit was pulling it into the house."
According to Inframark’s website, the company provides water and wastewater services to roughly 120,000 residents in Kingwood.
Houston City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem, Dave Martin, has been looking into the issue for weeks. According to Martin, he recently visited the treatment plant and noticed some unusual things.
"The way wastewater is treated, you need aerators that move the sewage and the liquids to do that," said Martin. "There were a number of aerators and wind systems that were sitting on trailers out here. I think folks are going to be in a little bit of trouble if the investigation shows what I think it’s going to show."
Runoff from the treatment plant flows into nearby bayous and eventually Lake Houston. A lake used to provide city residents drinking water.
"The good news is, it didn’t get into the city’s water system," said Martin. "All of the samples we did show it wasn’t."
A spokesperson from TCEQ tells FOX 26, they couldn’t provide much comment, because of the active investigation.
"With respect to the investigation, TCEQ Environmental Crimes Unit is assisting the Houston PD as they are the lead investigative agency on this matter," said a TCEQ spokesperson. "TCEQ cannot comment further on the investigation."
"We are cooperating with the authorities to conduct a thorough review of the wastewater treatment plant operations," said a spokesperson from Inframark. "We continue to take measures to ensure there is no adverse impact to the community or the environment."