Storms blamed for wastewater spill into Lake Lavon

The North Texas Municipal Water District is dealing with another wastewater spill in Lake Lavon -- the area's main source for drinking water.

Now investigators are testing the water and determining what to do next.

Kayaker Joey Ledbetter captured cell phone video of the disgusting discovery Saturday.

"There are chunks floating in the water. It's hundreds of yards of it and it's very thick," said Ledbetter.

He says there was a stomach-turning, familiar stench.

"You can smell chlorine and you can smell feces, and to me both of those are not going to be good for the environment," said Ledbetter.

"We had the perfect storm at the plant on Wednesday night where it did a lot of damage," said Mike Rickman, Deputy Director of the North Texas Municipal Water District.

The North Texas Municipal Water District says Wednesday's storm created a power outage at the Wilson Creek Regional Wastewater Plant and a lightening strike disabled the computers that help run it. 

As a result, 28,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater spilled into the far northwest area of Lake Lavon, an area only accessible by boat. 

"We are in the process of installing a floating boom in a cove near the discharge point. It's just to ensure that if there's anything out there that's floating that it's contained," said Rickman.

In April, a boater discovered a similar situation near the same treatment plant.

That spill was also blamed on weather, a particularly heavy March rainfall.

"You can't build a plant that will never have an excursion like that. It's just not possible," said Rickman. 

This time, officials say so far there's no measurable impact and contaminant levels are within regulatory limits.

Still, Ledbetter says he wants more accountability.

"If I pour sewage into the lake, they are going to hold me accountable. So I believe they should be," said Ledbetter.

Officials say the treated drinking water is safe, but those using private drinking water supply wells within a half mile of the spill site should distill or boil their water.

And they recommend the public avoid contact with discharged waste material in the lake.