The spill was reported when someone saw “large amounts of red liquid” flowing in the creek, the city said.
RICHARDSON, Texas — A soap detergent spill from a Richardson car wash turned a creek bright red over the weekend, officials said.
The spill, which was reported around noon Sunday, at Floyd Branch Creek near Arapaho Road and Hampshire Lane, according to city officials.
The city shared pictures on Facebook of bright red water in the creek. The spill was reported when someone saw “large amounts of red liquid” flowing in the creek, the city said.
Officials traced the spill to a nearby car wash, saying the business owner “began discharging wastewater from the establishment into the creek due to a blockage affecting its main wastewater line.”
The detergent, which was deemed to be non-hazardous, was cleaned out of the creek and the water was back to normal by Monday morning. Still, fish in the creek could be affected by the soap spill, officials said.
Crews had to block the flow of the creek water and then they pumped out more than 21,000 gallons of water. The spill impact was “minimized and the natural ecosystem and water quality” met safety standards Monday morning, officials said.
The city notified the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates incidents like the soap spill.
A city spokesperson told WFAA that the soap came from the Clean and Shine Carwash off Arapahoe Road and Hampshire Lane, about a half-mile from the creek. The spokesperson said the car wash, which now faces a fine, had installed its own pipe to take runoff to the creek.
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