Jun 2, 2023 · Starting point

Flooding overwhelms Hollywood Road plant; spills into a playa lake

During citywide flooding, the Hollywood Road plant spilled untreated and partially treated wastewater into the playa lake on its grounds. A city press release put the June 2-3 spill at about 900,000 gallons untreated and 3,000,000 gallons partially treated; TCEQ was notified.^[1]^[2]

What the sources say

⚠ Sources differ
Reported volumes for the early-June 2023 Hollywood Road flood spills differ by source and time window.
Reported value 1[1]
Untreated gallons
900,000
Partially treated gallons
3,000,000
Window
2023-06-02 4:30 p.m. to 2023-06-03 8:00 a.m.
City press release as reported by KFDA, June 4, 2023.
Reported value 2[2]
Gallons
3,900,000
Date
2023-06-05
Amarillo Globe-News (Sept 2023) refers to a 3.9 million-gallon spill on June 5 during the early-June flooding.
Reported value 3[3][4]
Gallons
over 100,000
KFDA retrospective figure for the 2023 flood-related spill (June and December 2024 articles).
⚠ Sources differ
The Hollywood Road plant has a capacity of 12 million gallons per day; sources give its construction year as 1963 or 1965.
Reported value 1[2][5]
Built
1,965
Amarillo Globe-News (2023) and City of Amarillo news release (Sept 2025).
Reported value 2[6]
Built
1,963
Original capacity mgd
4.5
ABC7 (May 2025): built in 1963 to treat 4.5 MGD.
Reported value 3[7]
Built
1,963
Upgrades
1977-2022
TWDB project funding request (Aug 2026): built in 1963 with upgrades and expansions between 1977 and 2022.

Related events

Osage Street manhole overflows twice during June 2023 storms Jun 1, 2023 – Jun 2, 2023

Sources

1.City of Amarillo gives update on Hollywood Road facility wastewater spill — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), Jun 4, 2023 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependentPage timestamp June 4, 2023, 8:28 p.m.; URL path dated June 5. Figures attributed to a city press release.
2.Hollywood Road wastewater plant problems stem from 3 key issues, Amarillo official says — Amarillo Globe-News (syndicated on Yahoo News), Sep 27, 2023 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependentSyndicated copy; page shows 'updated' Sept 27, 2023. Written before the council meeting it previews had ended.
3.Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Plant continues upgrades after spill — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), Jun 26, 2024 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependent
4.Amarillo City Council approves construction for Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Facility — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), Dec 13, 2024 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependentPage timestamp Dec 13, 2024; URL path dated Dec 14. Says the council approved the funding 'this week'.
5.Addressing Amarillo's aging infrastructure: wastewater treatment plants — City of Amarillo, Sep 4, 2025 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026primarySubject-authored
6.City of Amarillo estimates $3 billion to replace beleaguered water treatment plant — ABC7 Amarillo (KVII), May 28, 2025 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependentHeadline says 'water treatment plant'; the article concerns the Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Facility.
7.Project Funding Request: City of Amarillo – $60,000,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (Project No. 74008, Hollywood II Wastewater Treatment Facility) — Texas Water Development Board, Aug 6, 2026 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026primaryIndependentBoard date Aug 6, 2026 (agenda item 14). Includes project description, schedule, financial review, illustrative debt schedule and project budget. Interest rates and schedule are staff projections subject to change at closing.