BEAUMONT, Texas — A pump failure at a City of Beaumont lift station flooded a busy intersection along MLK Pkwy Thursday morning.
Several inches of water could be seen collecting on Franklin St. at the intersection with northbound MLK Pkwy Thursday morning. Cars were slowly driving through the water on MLK while Franklin appeared to be closed from heading east at MLK.
A lift station at Royal St, a couple blocks to the south went down according to City of Beaumont public information officer Tracy Kennick.
There was a pump failure sometime overnight at the lift station Kennick told 12News.
A city crew is currently working on the issue and installing temporary bypass pumps while working on a permanent fix Kennick said.
While the work is being done drivers in the area can expect lane closures and delays along MLK pkwy she said.
Kennick described the lift station as an underground vault where the water collects and is then pumped out.
The lift station that failed is used to pump stormwater away from the intersection which is in a low lying area according to Kennick.
City workers are installing temporary pipes to remove the water from the area.
"Lift stations are used to move wastewater from lower to higher elevation, particularly where the elevation of the source is not sufficient for gravity flow and/or when the use of gravity conveyance will result in excessive excavation depths and high sewer construction costs," according to the EPA.
Tests of the standing water showed no chlorine present which shows that the waters is "groundwater" due to the low elevation of the intersection, Kennick said.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.