Stormwater Mixed with Wastewater Discharged from Samsung Plant in Austin

Local television station KVUE reported on Feb. 12 that Samsung Electronics recently discharged 8.1 million gallons of stormwater mixed with partially treated wastewater in northern Austin.

KVUE, virtual channel 24, is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Austin, Texas, United States.

“There was a heavy rainfall from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 and 13 million gallons of stormwater overflowed from the two wet ponds in the Samsung plant where untreated industrial wastewater is kept,” it said, adding, “The plant discharged 2.2 million and 5.9 million gallons of stormwater mixed with partially treated wastewater on Jan. 31 and Feb. 3, respectively.”

According to Samsung Electronics, the discharge was conducted in compliance with local regulations. It has been reported that the water flowed more than a mile to join the Harris Branch Creek mainstream, and the Watershed Protection Department detected no environmental impact at its tributary observation on Feb. 6.

Earlier, 763,000 gallons of acid waste flowed through a tributary from the plant 106 days ago. Samsung announced that it would stop the discharge right away and restore the contaminated area.