A false alarm about gas leaks in Arlington led the school district to instruct students and employees to stay indoors Tuesday, according to the city and a social media post from the district.
A city spokesperson told KERA News around noon Tuesday that the warnings of a leak were a false alarm.
According to the fire department, the worries were caused by an over-pressurization of mercaptan, a chemical added to natural gas, which is odorless on its own, to give it that distinct rotten egg smell.
The school district posted about the suspected leak on social media Tuesday morning, writing that the smell of gas has been reported at multiple locations across the city. It said it was warned by Atmos Energy and the fire department.
The district’s facility services staff is adjusting air intake systems in an attempt to minimize the odor of gas getting into buildings.
An Atmos Energy spokesperson said the issues was unrelated to the company and directed requests for comment to Energy Transfer, which did not immediately respond to a request from KERA Tuesday afternoon.
This story has been updated after city officials confirmed reports of a gas leak were false alarms.
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