WASTEWATER COLLECTION
The City of Andrews owns and operates all of the wastewater collection and treatment systems within the city.  Sanitary sewer collection systems are designed to collect and transport sewage and industrial wastewater to a wastewater treatment facility for appropriate treatment.

Wastewater operators are required to hold treatment certifications from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and maintain high standards for operation and maintenance.

SEWER REPAIRS
If you suspect a sewer drain clog in your main yard line, stop any usage of your home's plumbing until the clog is removed! 

The most common sign of a sewer clog is the back up of multiple fixtures in your home at the same time. Typically, you will notice it first with your toilets, since they have a direct path to the sewer; however, you may also notice it with your bathtubs and showers since they sit lower than any sink or other fixtures in your home. Other common signs of a sewer stoppage or clog could be water coming up in the tub or shower when you flush your toilet, or when running your washing machine, your toilets will fill and overflow.

If your home has a sewer clean out, remove the cap for a visual inspection. If water is visible, overflowing or standing, you definitely have a problem.   It will be necessary to determine if it is a simple drain clog, your yard line or the City's main line that is the problem.

Call Us First
The Sewer Utility crew provides 24-hour service, 7 days a week at no charge. If you experience sanitary sewer problems, call us at (432) 523-4820. After-hours, contact (432) 266-1550 or (432) 556-2870. We can check if there is a problem in the City's main sewer line that may be causing your problem. By calling us first, you may save yourself a plumbing bill.

Stoppage Crews
Upon being notified of a problem, a city crew will typically take a sewer machine to the dispatched location. The crew will then visually inspect and run the sewer machine to clean the City's main line, which could remedy the problem. 

If a problem is not found in the City's main line, the problem is in the customer's line and the customer will be notified.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT
The Wastewater Treatment Department is responsible for the operation of the Reclamation Plant, which treats the wastewater from the City of Andrews Collection System.

Treated effluent is discharged to holding ponds and can be utilized for irrigation at nearby City-owned land and the golf course.

Mission Statement
To provide the most effective wastewater collection and reclamation facility to the citizens of Andrews.

The City of Andrews Wastewater Treatment Plant is dedicated to protecting the physical environment and to sustaining the quality of life for all citizens of Andrews.

Our objective is to manage and operate in a safe, cost-efficient and ecologically sound wastewater service for the benefit of the City of Andrews.

We promote environmental stewardship as a community value and are committed to protecting and preserving the environment by maintaining regulatory compliance and educating the public.

This will be accomplished through constant vigilance, operator training, excellent system maintenance and effective communication.

Operation
The Reclamation Plant operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has operators on call after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends. Operators have control of the plant utilizing remote SCADA system capabilities.  All operators are certified by the TCEQ.

Responsibilities
Operators are responsible for maintaining the irrigation Big Gun Irrigation System and repairs to the irrigation piping from the plant, which keeps effluent contained according to TCEQ Rules and Regulations.

• Operating and preventive maintenance of the well fields and pump stations
• Daily laboratory test of plant process efficiency
• Continual bacteriological and chemical sampling of the distribution system
• Meeting TCEQ requirements

Reclamation Plant
The Reclamation Plant is located on County Road 1 just east of Andrews. The plant receives up to 1,100,000 gallons per day of wastewater generated from residential and commercial facilities.

The City of Andrews Wastewater Permit contains effluent limits as well as reporting, record keeping, monitoring, testing, and post-treatment requirements.

Wastewater enters the treatment plant through the City's main line, which is designed and built to collect and convey wastewater from homes, businesses and industries.

In order to properly convey wastewater, the collection system is designed for a gravity flow of two feet per second to keep solids suspended in the wastewater.  Lift Stations are used where gravity flow is not possible due to the topography of the land.  Here in Andrews, five (5) lift stations are utilized.

PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH SINGLE-USE WIPES EVEN IF THEY ARE LABELED "FLUSHABLE".  STUDIES SHOW THEY DO NOT DISSOLVE AND WILL CLOG SEWER SYSTEMS.

Odor Control
Odors occur is a natural part of the treatment of wastewater. By design, odors are usually contained within the plant site; however, due to a variety of operating and weather conditions, odors will occasionally drift away from the facility.

Most of the odors detected at a wastewater treatment plant have a rotten egg smell that indicates the presence of sulfur and may include hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans. Other odors are characterized as fishy or pungent and may include materials containing ammonia. All of these compounds are naturally occurring and are detectable by the human nose at extremely low concentrations.