Pool reopens after wastewater spill

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin Parks and Recreation Department reopened Barton Springs Pool on Friday afternoon, weather permitting.

The pool, which will be reopened at 3 p.m., was closed as a precautionary public health and safety measure on Sunday due to a weaste water spill at entered a small creek that fees the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. The city's health department, which has been monitoring the pool, have not seen elevated e-coli levels in the water tests taken since Sunday.

Austin Water Crews worked around the clock to clean up the more 250,000 gallons of wastewater leaked after vandals removed a man-hole cover and filled a 15-inch water line with debris. That amount of water is more than one-third of what it takes to fill up an Olympic-size pool.

Austin Water Utility crews discovered the vandalized 15-inch line after vandals placed orange construction fencing and several large rocks in the line through a nearby manhole. The debris caused a blockage in the line, near the intersection of Lacrosse Avenue and South MoPac - which is also near the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

"As of today, the older man-hole covers will have new covers and they are much more difficult to access,” said water utility spokesman Jason Hill.

Austin Water does not know exactly how many well water users are impacted or how much the mess will cost to clean up. However, they don't anticipate any serious environmental impacts. Meanwhile, it's a major inconvenience and disappointment for the hundreds who wanted to spend the day at Barton Springs Pool.

Because of the spill, area residents in Sunset Valley and those who receive their drinking water from a private well were advised to boil all drinking water until the water can be tested.

Crews said their goal is to minimize the environmental impact while they clean up. Though cleanup is still underway, AWU crews had recovered 75 percent of the spill by 12:30 p.m. Monday.

Meanwhile, officials said those who know anything regarding this case should call the Austin Police Department at (512) 974-5000.