City of Breckenridge: Recent rains lead to sewer system overflow on North Breckenridge Avenue
According to a public notice issued by Breckenridge City Manager Cynthia Northop at about 9 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, June 4, “a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) has occurred caused by Inflow and Infiltration and an inability to keep up with the Flow at Lift Station #1.”
The City of Breckenridge’s Public Works department is notifying the public, via the announcement, that the SSO occurred from a manhole east of the 800 block of North Breckenridge Avenue, caused by Inflow and Infiltration due to the heavy rains Breckenridge has been receiving and an inability to keep up with the flow at Lift Station #1.
“The flow appears to have traveled southeast through the Walker Branch Drainage approximately 140 meters before entering the Gunsolus Creek,” according to the notice. “No fish kills are noted at this time. The estimated discharge is between 72,000-144,000 gallons. This occurred approximately, 10:30 p.m. on June 3, 2025.”
Crews have sanitized the area, as well as everything downstream, with chlorine. A report has been filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
The TCEQ website defines an SSO as “a type of unauthorized discharge of untreated or partially treated wastewater from a collection system or its components (e.g., a manhole, lift station, or cleanout) before reaching a treatment facility.”
Additionally, the TCEQ website explains inflow and infiltration:
“During wet weather, the most frequent causes of Unauthorized Discharges and SSOs are infiltration and inflow into the collection system due to aging and deteriorating infrastructure:
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- Infiltration – groundwater that enters the collection system through leaky pipes, faulty pipe joints, or defective manholes.
- Inflow – surface runoff that enters the collection system through missing or defective manhole covers, uncovered or damaged cleanouts, illegal stormwater connections, or defective pipes and manholes in streambeds or roadside borrow ditches.
Both can be confirmed by physically inspecting collection lines and manholes, smoke testing, and inspecting collection lines with cameras. Once problem areas are identified, a plan can be formulated for systematic repair and replacement.”
Similar information is available on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.
