CONNECTICUT, USA — More than 6 million gallons of sewage is flowing through the Connecticut River on its way into Long Island Sound as a result of a sewage discharge incident that started in Massachusetts.
Now, Connecticut residents are wondering if it poses a regional public health risk.
The sewage discharge was caused by recent rainstorms. Too much rain causes stormwater pipes, which in some communities are combined with sewer pipes, to become overwhelmed and backflow into the river.
The 410-mile long Connecticut River is the ecosystem that connects four states.
“The river itself is much higher than it normally is and you cannot see through it,” remarked Justin Alaimo of Enfield.
Alaimo, who noticed that the water smelled a little different Thursday, said, “There are some areas by the river that do have a distinct odor.”
There are 10 sewer overflow locations in Holyoke, Mass. that discharge a slurry into the river from 100-year-old pipes that combine rain and sewage.
“Every community along the Connecticut River at one point in its history has had combined sewer overflows,” remarked Mike Bissonnette, the assistant city solicitor of Holyoke, Mass.
Bissonnette said Holyoke is working on a $43 million fix to separate sewage and rainwater pipes. They’ll sanitize the waste through a treatment plant and convert it to compost manure. The plan will take time.
“This is an important environmental issue,” said Bissonnette. “The river is so much cleaner than it once was and it’s going to take a while to finish it and a lot of money to make sure sewage no longer goes into the Connecticut River.”
“I’ll definitely think twice now,” said David Bourne, a resident of West Hartland. “I kayak and I fish and it’s unfortunate. It ruins it for everybody.”
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection doesn't believe the discharges will have a direct impact, saying, “...rain runoff mixes with the overflows and dilutes them…”
A DEEP spokesperson added that the river “...generally has a good level of mixing and dilution.”
Environmental officials generally advise people not to swim in the river until 48 hours after a discharge. They also say sewage has been sent into the river for years but the Clean Water Act now requires the public to be notified.
The federal EPA works with communities to make sure the discharge levels are acceptable.
MORE NEWS:
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
---
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Stream Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.