25 Million Gallons Of Sewage Spilled In Connecticut

By Sara Jerome

stamfordharfordreg

The "near record" spill in Stamford sent 25 million gallons of partially treated sewage in local harbor, according to the Connecticut Post reported

Heavy rainfall was pegged as the cause for the spill, which occurred at Stamford's sewage treatment plant. The city got more than 4 inches of rain before the spill, NBC 4 New York reported, citing the National Weather Service.

"The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection blamed the rain. It said anytime we get a lot of it over a short period of time, the treatment plants can't handle all of the water and caused them to flush the waste and bacteria into the water," WFSB reported

The underlying cause was outdated infrastructure. "Officials with the city of Stamford say they intend to replace old pipes and research ways of improving the system, but they say that Mother Nature's actions are out of their hands," Connecticut News 12 reported

City officials said they are applying for grant money to fund infrastructure upgrades, the report said. 

Mayor David Martin visited the spill site to view the wreckage. Officials said signs are being posted "at beaches and marinas to alert the public that swimming, fishing and shellfishing are prohibited until further notice," the WFSB report said. 

The city "canceled a regatta that was scheduled for this weekend as a precaution," FOX CT reported

Locals were outraged by the events, and are trying to hold public officials accountable. 

"Angered by last week's sewage spill into Stamford Harbor and continued problems at theWater Pollution Control Authority, the Board of Representatives Appointments Committee voted against veteran Board of Directors member Don Huppert's reappointment," the Stamford Advocate reported

Huppert had served on the board since 2006. 

Check out Water Online's Wastewater Treatment Solution Center

Image credit: "Stamford Harbor is located in southwestern Stamford, CT," CorpsNewEngland © 2010, used under an Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

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