Alief apartment's property management accused of dumping sewage containing E. coli in storm drains

ALIEF, Texas (KTRK) -- A property management company is charged with water pollution, a felony, for allegedly dumping sewage containing E. coli into storm drains.

According to court documents, the incident occurred at the Ashford Stoneridge Apartments at 10615 Beechnut St. A city inspector observed multiple sewage spills in November 2023.

HK Capital Management is accused of "intentionally or knowingly allowing the discharge of sewage containing E. coli to cause or threaten to cause water pollution into the City of Houston storm drain which (connects) to the water of the state."

While the city told ABC13 this does not impact drinking water, 311 records show at least seven service requests for sewage wastewater since 2022.

Alexander Miller, who has four young daughters, said he worries about what his family could have been exposed to.

"They have sewage water coming out outside the office parking lot now and then," Miller said. "It's been an on-and-off thing. I've been living here for almost three years. Nothing actually is being cleaned; that's my concern. The girls run inside and outside the house."

It's not the first time the company has been accused of doing this. In 2023, HK Capital Management was also charged with water pollution.

Court records state a detective was at one of their other apartment complexes, the Ashford St. Cloud Apartments on Hillcroft, when he saw a sewage drain not cleaned properly with used toilet paper and dried fecal matter.

The detective collected samples which documents state tested high for E. coli, according to records.

However, the case was thrown out because of a lack of evidence.

ABC13 reached out to HPD's Environmental Crimes Unit to ask about the health and safety of residents. A spokesperson said they are in training and would not be able to answer questions until Thursday.

An attorney for HK Capital Management responded to Eyewitness News' email, stating,

"Thank you for reaching out to H.K. Capital Management, L.P. regarding the recent inquiry on alleged water pollution. We understand the concern and take this matter seriously. At this time, we would like to inform you that there is currently pending litigation on the issue. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to provide detailed comments on the specifics of the case. However, we want to assure our residents and the public that we are fully committed to addressing the concerns raised through the appropriate legal process. We appreciate your understanding. However, the safety, well-being, and comfort of all of our residents remains our utmost priority. Should there be any developments or updates that we are able to share, we will communicate them in a timely and transparent manner."

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