WATERBURY — A power failure has been identified as the reason why millions of gallons of untreated sewage spewed into a Connecticut river, killing dozens of fish.
The general manager of the Waterbury Pollution Control department tells The Republican-American a contractor’s mistake at the city’s sewage treatment plant caused the electrical breakers to blow.
Denis Cuevas says the power failure led to 5 million gallons of sewage flowing into the Naugatuck River Oct. 9. He says workers were able to install replacement breakers and bring the plant back online.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Control confirmed Tuesday the sewage spill killed dozens of fish in the river.
A department spokesman says an investigation into the spill is ongoing, but it appears to be an “unfortunate set of events.”
