Pueblo West Spills Nearly 250,000 Gallons of Wastewater into Local Creeks
Two separate wastewater spills totaling nearly 250,000 gallons discharged into Pest House Gulch and Wild Horse Creek in Pueblo West during planned infrastructure upgrades, according to the Pueblo West Metropolitan District. The accidental releases occurred on Tuesday during work to modernize the treatment facility’s ultraviolet disinfection system.
Contractor Bypass Failures Trigger Two Separate Discharges
The first incident occurred at approximately 1:13 a.m. on Tuesday when operators responded to an alert signaling a temporary failure of a contractor-operated bypass pumping system, FOX21 News reported. During this brief interruption, about 54,000 gallons of fully treated but non-disinfected wastewater flowed through the plant outfall before facility operators restored the ultraviolet disinfection system. Later that same day, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., a second operational complication occurred during system adjustments. This second failure released roughly 185,000 gallons of partially treated and partially disinfected wastewater into the same waterways.
Water Quality Testing and Downstream Impact
District personnel responded to both incidents by restoring treatment processes and stabilizing system performance, while reporting the events to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Workers collected water samples at established testing locations within the plant’s effluent channel and at downstream monitoring points along Wild Horse Creek and Pest House Gulch, which are tributaries of the Arkansas River. Laboratory testing is currently underway for E. coli. District officials advised residents, visitors, and pet owners to avoid recreational contact with water in the affected waterways out of an abundance of caution while testing continues.
Drinking Water Separated From Contaminated Creeks
Pueblo West drinking water remains safe and unaffected by the accidental discharges. District representatives noted that the facility’s drinking water comes from separate sources and runs through an independent treatment system. System operators are actively working with the contractor to implement additional redundancy measures and operational safeguards to prevent similar bypass failures during the remainder of the upgrade project.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Pueblo West Wastewater Spills
Did the spills involve raw sewage?
No. The discharges involved water that had already passed through primary and secondary treatment processes to remove solids and organic matter, meaning it was treated or partially treated rather than raw sewage.
Are municipal drinking water supplies at risk?
No risk exists for tap water consumers. The district’s drinking water originates from separate sources and utilizes an independent treatment and distribution system.
What waterways received the discharge?
The accidental releases flowed into Pest House Gulch and Wild Horse Creek, both of which are tributaries that wind toward the Arkansas River in Pueblo County.
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