Update from City of McLendon-Chisholm: Emergency sewer main break

McLendon-Chisholm, TX (June 18, 2025) –  The City of McLendon-Chisholm responded to an odor investigation near City Hall on June 17, 2025. Code Enforcement personnel discovered water flowing in the ditch, resulting in bubbling, which prompted immediate action.

Upon notification, Fire Chief Jim Simmons and the team swiftly coordinated efforts to halt the sewage flow. The Fire Marshal and City Manager contacted lnframark, Double R Utilities (Pipe Repair), and TOI (Developer for Sonoma Verde) regarding the onsite lift station.

The City reached out to County and State agencies, focusing on collaboration with EnviroServ to initiate cleanup procedures and ensure the area’s safety for residents.

Double R Utilities was onsite within the hour, while lnframark worked to shut down the lift station to prevent further sewage flow. Trucks were dispatched to drain excess sewage, allowing for timely pumping back into the lift station. The onsite repair took approximately four hours, restoring service to residents without disruption.

By 7:00 PM, crews commenced pumping wastewater back into the lift station, successfully removing over 40,000 gallons of sewage, thus completing Phase 1 of the operation.

As of 11:00 AM on June 18, we entered Phase 2, beginning soil and water testing in the creek and surrounding areas to prepare reports for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), who will be onsite today. We will share our operational plans with TCEQ to keep them informed of our actions.

During this phase, we will treat the area with Micro-blaze and Microbac, which will address odors and effectively combat hydrocarbons, E.coli, and other sewage. These treatments will start working immediately, with follow-up tests scheduled in 4-5 days to ensure safety for the community.

We will continue to update our community and collaborate with County and State agencies throughout this process.

Submitted press release, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News.

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