FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Good evening, and thank you all for joining us for this 9:00PM update. My name is Jay Callaway, and I serve as the Emergency Management Coordinator for Snyder and Scurry County and Incident Commander for this event.
I’m here to provide the latest information regarding today’s chemical incident at the Snyder Water Treatment Plant.
To recap: At approximately 12:27PM, emergency services were requested at the plant after a chemical delivery was mistakenly offloaded into the wrong tank. Crews arrived on scene within minutes and due to the chemical involved, we implemented immediate safety precautions including a voluntary evacuation in a half-mile radius north of the facility.
Since our last update, I want to confirm the following:
- As of now, the situation remains fully stabilized.
- Hazmat technicians from Abilene have completed their on-site monitoring and confirmed there is no longer any chemical risk outside the fenced area.
- All containment efforts have been successful, and the site has transitioned into cleanup and post-incident assessment.
- The voluntary evacuation was lifted at 4:25PM this afternoon, and residents may safely return home.
- We will continue to monitor air quality.
To address continuing questions:
- There were no reported injuries throughout this incident.
- There was no explosion or fire — only a brief release of pressure that some residents may have heard.
- Snyder’s water supply remains safe. It was never compromised, and drinking water has been continuously monitored and tested throughout the day.
I want to take a moment to sincerely thank our partner agencies — the City of Snyder, Public Works, Snyder Police Department, Scurry County and Scurry County EMS, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas DPS, and the Abilene Fire Department Hazmat team — for their swift and professional response. This was a textbook example of coordinated emergency management and resident safety was our top priority.
We know today’s events were unsettling, and we thank our community for your patience, cooperation, and trust.
For any remaining concerns, please visit snydertx.gov or follow the City of Snyder Facebook page for real-time updates.
At this time, there are no further safety concerns for the public.
That concludes this 9:00PM update.