Untreated Wastewater Poured into Deepfork River, Arcadia Lake During Flood

By Stan Miller, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- During Monday's massive flooding, one of the city's wastewater pump stations broke down causing untreated wastewater from the facility to pour into the Deepfork River, which means it also made its way into Arcadia Lake.

Oklahoma City Utilities Department Debbie Regan said there's nothing to worry about.

Along with all the trash now floating in Arcadia Lake, thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater from the Witcher Pump Station on Hefner Road came rushing into the lake. The pump station, which sends the untreated wastewater to the N. Canadian Treatment Plant, failed during Monday's storm. The wastewater was sent to nearby overflow lagoons, but they spilled over their banks and the wastewater flowed downstream.

Wastewater is everything that is flushed down a toilet or sink, but Regan said because of the amount of rain that fell at Arcadia Lake Monday, any raw wastewater that made its way downstream would have been so diluted it would not have been a threat.

"Actually the river quality hasn't changed because of the overflow," Regan said.

A city document from February revealed that the pump station was in need of major repairs. The report stated new equipment, "will replace equipment that has reached the end of its useful lifecycle." It also suggested a backup system in case of a pump failure like Monday's.

Regan said the water at Arcadia Lake is being routinely tested, and no one who lives in the area should be concerned.

Regan said that a $10.5 million maintenance project is being bid right now, and the work should begin to upgrade the pump station sometime this winter.

In the meantime, workers at Arcadia Lake said they are going to do their best to get the lake reopened by July 4, but at this point, they aren't making any promises that will happen.