Clute council adopts ordinance to offer reward for information after sewer dumping; staff cite 4,200-gallon incident

The Clute City Council voted on Feb. 12 to adopt Ordinance 2026-002, which creates authority for a standing reward—funded from the general fund—for information leading to an arrest and conviction for crimes committed on city property.

City staff described recent illegal dumping into a local lift station, saying crews collected samples and that cleanup required tanker trucks. A staff speaker said the first known incident involved an estimated 4,200 gallons, noting the substance had an oily, asphalt-like odor and that the city is pursuing laboratory analysis and coordination with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the EPA.

“Right now what’s in the bottom…is a mixture of wastewater as well as maybe some of the residual coming off of the material that was dumped in there,” a staff member said while describing cleanup work and the need for sample testing. Staff also warned that such discharges could harm treatment-plant bacteria and raise regulatory issues with TCEQ.

Officials discussed using camera footage to identify suspects but noted that the system retains video for seven days and that continuous monitoring is impractical. The ordinance gives the city another tool to solicit tips when investigations require public assistance.

The council moved to approve the ordinance, the motion was seconded, and the measure passed with unanimous aye votes recorded at the meeting.