PFLUGERVILLE, Texas —A pump failure at the Windermere Utility wastewater treatment plant in Pflugerville Monday night led to hundreds of dead fish in Gilleland Creek.

Windermere Utility Director of Operations Gary Rose said the failure caused a decrease in dissolved oxygen in the water. That along with high temperatures, led to the death of hundreds of fish, and a foul odor along hiking trails near the creek. Rose said crews have been working since Monday to return oxygen back into the water and clear any impacted fish.

Residents near the creek reported the smell of dead fish on hiking trails, even after most of the fish have been cleared. Mark Gibson takes the trail from his backyard everyday. He said these incidents are normally handled quickly, but the stench is unavoidable.

“It really hasn’t been a lingering problem but as I’m standing with you know I smell dead fish,” Gibson said. “That would impact the walk. We may walk a different trail here in Pflugerville.”

The Texas Commission for Environmental Quality TCEQ said they have an open investigation of the incident and will follow the agency standard for enforcing consequences. ​