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Norwalk: Leaky Treatment Plant


by turfgrrl


January 16th, 2008 · 33 Comments

Just after announcing that the odor complaint hot line wasn’t providing solid leads of smelly incidents, we find that the treatment plant is leaking solids into the sound. From The Hour:

Overflow from a wastewater treatment plant caused the emergency closure of shellfish beds in Norwalk, Darien and Westport.
The beds will be closed for about a week while officials from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Aquaculture inspect the effects of the wastewater spill from the OMI water treatment plant.

“When you get an interruption like this, some of the solids can’t be completely treated and disinfected, and there’s some concern on our part that some partially-treated sewage got out into the river,” said Jim Citak, supervising environmental analyst for the department of agriculture’s bureau of aquaculture.

At the OMI plant, water is separated from solid waste and treated through chlorination and dechlorination, pre-paring it for discharge into the Norwalk River. In four final settling tanks at OMI, sludge settles at the bottom and treated water flows from the edges.

On Thursday, the bolted connection failed in two scum troughs — arms that collect scum in the tank — in two separate tanks and the troughs dipped below the water surface, said Kevin Dahl, project manager for OMI.

While a crew from the water treatment plant fixed the trough from a boat on Monday, water was displaced and bits of treated solids mixed with the clear water for about a two-hour period, leaking into the Norwalk River, Dahl said.
The solids leaked into the river were fine particles, not clumps of floatable waste, said to Dahl.

“There was no raw sewage going into the river,” he said. “It was treated solids.”

Long Island Sound shellfishing beds in Darien, Norwalk and Westport will be closed for about a week pending tests from the state Department of Agriculture, Citak said. Any fish that would have been impacted by the spill were not brought to the market, according to Citak.

The agricultural department has taken samples of the water and the shellfish for further study. It will also test the meat of the shellfish.

“We’ll see how the samples come out and see if our closure is sufficient,” said Citak. “I think it’s sufficient based on the volume of the discharge.

source: The Hour, Treatment plant leak closes shellfish beds January 16, 2008

Tags: Norwalk

33 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk: Leaky Treatment Plant”


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  • 1 Anonymous // Jan 16, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    be nice if we were told how long this had been going on, smell is real bad tonight like all the other times but maybe the spill were all the other times as well we will never know. But by getting some good help looking over Norwalks shoulder it didn’t get by this time.

    from the Knoll

    Didn’t any reporter call the state? I’m not surprised by the article that what we have is a lack of understanding what was done to make the city listen.

    It is my understanding that the DEP Bureau of Air Management also
    looks at sewage treatment plants, they have a complaint number
    860-424-3436 or email dep.aircomplaints@po.state.ct.us

    I didn’t read where they were contacted at all maybe its time fo a follow up and some decent investagative reporting this was extremely disapointing to read today.

    fortune cookie news

    the city deserves better i know for a fact the number was used and the pressure was put on the city to clean up its act by the state this is strictly a political football at this point.

    Fines were threatened by the state simply ask them I gave you a friggin lead havn’t I?

    Now Tim was at the meeting and heard the condition of the backup generators at the plant in case we lose our power and what would happen if the power was lost at the treatment plant by a resident who complained.This was written into the minutes of the meeting. I am simply amused at the lack of reporting the Hour did on this altogether there was what two reporters from the Hour one to hold the pencils and lifesavers and one to write the article I presume.

    Not that I could do any better, I’d never be able to stroke the city officials for scraps and be spoon fed it isn’t my style but is my tax dollars isn’t it the reporters money is not on the line is it ?

    What was the truth? If the power was lost in the matter of how many hours would it take for raw sewage to be released untreated from the plant and injure the shellfish beds along the river?

    How many working generators were there out of two when someone with expertise spoke?

    What is the plans for a new generator for this site? they are there just I just threw the news hounds a bone ?

    If there is problems along the river and the beds have to be closed in and around the harbor who actually is hurt anyone yet has given the number harvested by our local tax paying business in the news but common knowledge to the powers to be. another bone guys

    why is it so hard to get the news?

    todays papers were very diapointing we are now taking murder and placing it under the comics and given the way these articles were written in both papers they were written last week.Maybe its time to stop delivery there was no news telling us where we need to be concerned and the mere fact that notices were not observed tells us in many cryptic ways were are getting our news here the papers are no longer being read like they once were perception and honesty by this blog has made it Norwalks news source the The Hour or Advocate but Turfggrl is our beacon of hope we hear all the facts and not just the citys take for good reading.

    now can we please get the weather and tide charts along with bridge openings and i’ll cancel all my papers but the Wall st.

    NORWALK - A 24-hour odor complaint hot line set up by city officials so far has been cold.

    try calling the state they have the equipment to come out and monitor the site and not tell the city they are here its what they do all over Ct Norwalk is not special its just another city on the DEP list. Listen to what the DEP say when you call certainly don’t take my word for it.

    what do i know I just post on the blog.

    I figure I started the other thread out with this post knowing the we were days into a spill. I’m sure the same thing could happen if my picture I painted comes true unless the generators have been fixed, you think this is a good time for the news hounds to find out?

    Or do we do this every so often , to bad we didn’t use the new call back system to tell others not to harvest in the area.

  • 2 Anonymous // Jan 18, 2008 at 10:02 pm

    Dick before you leave for your mayors conferance and talk what a great job we did polluting three towns coast line with your sewage plant are we going to hear more from you?

  • 3 Anonymous // Jan 21, 2008 at 5:24 pm

    This plant was supposed to be the best of the plants in the U.S., Before we spent another 100 million on it. What happened????

  • 4 Anonymous // Jan 21, 2008 at 5:31 pm

    that didn’t help the shellfish this week

    nothing said this was the first time and to think one of the idicators this time was the smell :)

  • 5 Anonymous // Jan 22, 2008 at 3:23 pm

    has this been cleared up? Just called the DPW they said they don’t know. Did I miss an article in the papers telling us its been resolved?

  • 6 Anonymous // Jan 22, 2008 at 3:41 pm

    Westport department of health has not been notified that they have been reopened. 227 9571

  • 7 Anonymous // Jan 22, 2008 at 4:10 pm

    thats odd ask about it on the blog and then call the state after they just getting off the phone with Norwalk was coincidence wasn’t it?

    Bottom line is some beds are still closed so are open and the sewage treatment plant has issues which mean Norwalk needs to keep working on this issue.

    safe to say anything close to the plant is closed for now .

  • 8 Anonymous // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:07 pm

    whats open? Who actually knows?

  • 9 Anonymous // Jan 23, 2008 at 1:30 am

    ANSONIA — The formula for sewer rate increases to fund the $52 million cost of the wastewater treatment plant upgrade is set to be finalized next month. The Water Pollution Control Authority heard plans for the necessary upgrades to the sewage plant during a Tuesday public hearing. The WPCA is expected to continue and close the public hearing before its Feb. 6 meeting, according to Jack Androski, the authority’s attorney. WPCA employee Maureen Bennett said the authority will decide at that meeting how much more residents will have to be billed to finance the upgrades. City officials said it may be based on monthly usage, on occupancy in a home or a mix of different factors.
    Officials from CDM, the Wethersfield-based firm hired to design the treatment plant upgrades, laid out the proposed plans before about 20 people in City Hall. The renovations are expected to cost about $39 million, according to Stephen Seigal, a CDM associate. But the city will pay about $8 million more in legal fees and other expenses and spend about $2.5 million for other system maintenance, including resolving problems with backups in the system.

    Board of Aldermen President Stephen Blume said the rate increase should not be overwhelming to residents. Whatever option is chosen, Blume said, should look out for residents first.

    “My priority is the homeowners,” Blume said after the hearing. “The mayor, myself and the WPCA are all concerned about taxes and want to find a happy medium for

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    homeowners and commercial property owners. We will come up with a solution that’s equal and fair. But the bottom line is this has to be done.”
    The city is required to make upgrades to its plant, which is about 40 years old, to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus dispensation into Long Island Sound. Seigal said the project should be eligible for about $11 million in state aid. The project was originally going to be done in two phases, but Seigal said it will now be done as one project over three years to reduce costs.

    The WPCA and the Board of Aldermen should pass a joint resolution to expend the money next month, Androski said. The project still needs approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

  • 10 Anonymous // Jan 23, 2008 at 2:13 pm

    Ansonia is in line to get some grant money now that they are spending some of theirs thats how it generally works .

  • 11 Anonymous // Jan 24, 2008 at 8:54 am

    NORWALK - Problems at the wastewater treatment plant over the weekend forced shellfish beds to close.

    Shellfish beds near the plant remained closed yesterday while beds farther out in the harbor were open.

    This article by Tim Stelloh doesn’t cover Calf Pasture where it is to have been said is also effected by the state.Windsurfers and other uses of the water there continues without warning would be a health risk unless updated information by the city is given on a daily basis. The other two towns Darien and Westport affected were unable to answer if their beaches and shellfish beds were safe to open yesterday and were sending all inquiries to te state .

    We didn’t do a closure because there was not a sufficient amount of material to initiate a closure,” Citak said.

    He began closing the beds. But after discussions with treatment plant workers he changed his mind.

    “It just didn’t seem like that much made it to the river,” he said.

    Taking the word of our own DPW on a matter like this does seem to be somewhat dangerous considering te track record of things surrounding the plant and its smell.

    wonder what the real story is?

  • 12 Anonymous // Feb 22, 2008 at 4:08 am

    FRANK JULIANO fjuliano@ctpost.com
    Article Last Updated: 02/22/2008 01:17:43 AM EST

    MILFORD — State officials turned on the spigot Thursday afternoon, announcing a major increase in Clean Water Fund grants and loans that may allow the city to complete a $94 million upgrade to its wastewater system.
    Gov. M. Jodi Rell said that she will place a $216 million package of Clean Water Fund money on the State Bond Commission agenda next Friday. Traditionally, all of the items placed on the agenda are approved.

    The state Department of Environmental Protection had sought $90 million for the program, and the General Assembly approved that amount. But only $30 million of that was released by the Bond Commission last month.

    “We were disappointed when the Beaverbrook plant didn’t make it onto the priority list last month, but we believe that with this increase it will be funded,” Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. said. “Our question is: With this increase, can we get funding to complete the pump stations and other work?”

    The entire project had been estimated to cost $64 million when it was approved by city officials four years ago, but delays since then and increases to the cost of steel, cement and oil have driven up the price tag another $30 million, the mayor said.

    Work at both the Housatonic and Beaverbrook treatment plants has been under way for some time, with state Clean Water Fund money paying for the Housatonic project and the city bonding the cost for the Beaverbrook upgrade.

    The DEP issued a “deviation letter,” promising to reimburse the city

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    for the Beaverbrook work when funding became available.
    Richetelli said now the urgency shifts to the West Avenue and Gulf Pond pumping stations, which had to be dropped from the original plans when costs got too high.

    “They’ve completed their 20-year useful life and need to be completely rebuilt,” he said. “West Avenue handles one-third of the flow for the entire city, and if it fails, it could be a major environmental disaster.”

    State Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, said that there is a total of $14 million for Beaverbrook, including $3 million in an outright grant and $11 million in the form of a loan with 2 percent interest, payable over 20 years. “This is something that we’ve worked long and hard for,” the senator said. Slossberg, Richetelli and House Speaker James Amann had vigorously fought a DEP decision two years ago to review the Housastonic and Beaverbrook plants separately. Beaverbrook alone did not have a high enough priority then to qualify for the state grants and 2 percent loans.

    The Beaverbrook plant serves the west side of the city, including Devon. “Anything they do to decrease the nitrogen in the effluent is a good thing,” said Devon developer and restaurant owner Chris Saley.

  • 13 Anonymous // Feb 22, 2008 at 8:27 pm

    Does Norwalk get some of that 216 million or have we waited too long to react?

  • 14 Anonymous // Feb 22, 2008 at 11:24 pm

    Now we are in trouble who is going to build a new sewage plant and all the new develpment in Norwalk?

    Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made the announcement during a review of border-control efforts, at which officials also unveiled higher fines for employers who hire illegal immigrants

  • 15 Anonymous // Mar 11, 2008 at 2:46 pm

    1st post needs a spell/grammar check. You’re killing me here.

  • 16 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 1:00 am

    Comm. Johnson & Comm. Frank attended the water pollution control authority meeting where odor problem from the waste water treatment plant was discussed. Both Mr. Alvord and Lisa Burden made a point of claiming there has never been a public complaint. Apparently, complaint’s relayed over several years through the Commission, don’t count. Mr. Alvord also made the statement that the person(s) who wrote the law on nuisance odor were not in their right minds.(

  • 17 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 1:01 am

    WASTEWATER TREATMENT
    Odor problem downwind of plant continues, but seems to have diminished. Water pollution control authority is now more aware of the problem. We did learn that equipment was installed at the dewatering building that has been less effective than expected, but makes big difference inside the building..
    .
    WATER QUALITY
    Chair distributed reports of 07 summer water quality testing of Silvermine River, Norwalk River and Storm drains. Results are not good. Elevated ecoli levels continue to show up routinely and are much worse after any rain. An interesting observation is the normal effluent from the waste water treatment plant in Norwalk, when there is no rain event, is better than other parts of the river. Dick Harris explained the science in the reports. Chair is still studying the reports. It seems the same hot spots have persisted.

  • 18 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 1:03 am

    HEALTH DEPT
    Mr. Closter reports:
    4.60 inches of rain in December vs.2.31 last year and average since 1987 of 3.61 inches. Total rain for 2007 was 49.83 inches vs. yearly average since 1987 of 52.10. There were 275 calls in December. 2.09 inches of rain in January vs.3.72 last year and average since 1987 of 3.62 inches. There were 321 calls in January. There was a partial closure in the CAA area for over 1/2 inch of rain from 1/1 through 1/5 and 1/11 through 1/22. There was a complete closure from 1/14 to 2/1. There were seven notices of by-pass reported.

    1-10-08 1,000 Gallons Treatment Plant 75 Minutes
    1-11-08 4,000 Gallons Treatment Plant 60 Minutes
    1-12-08 800 Gallons Treatment Plant 12 Minutes
    1-18-08 Unknown Treatment Plant 105 Minutes
    1-18-08 200 Gallons 4 Southwind Dr 60 Minutes
    1-19-08 Unknown Treatment Plant Unknown
    1-28-08 300 Gallons Maritime Garage 8 Hours

    Its so nice to see the residents so interested in our shellfish beds and river. We are still considering the water one of Norwalks assets or have we sold those rights to a developer?

  • 19 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 1:11 am

    Is this any way of running a sewage plant? Come on people this is going to cost money if we don’t clean up our act, sucks I can’t even blame this on Moccia.

    WASTEWATER TREATMENT
    Odor problem downwind of plant continues. Comm. Johnson reports backup generators at WWT plant did not operate during recent test ordered by organization that controls all municipal power plants/generation. Comm Johnson and chair went to the plant after 5pm the same day to find out what happened, and found nobody around except the night operator, although the OMI offices were wide open. We learned that nobody was working on the generators and everybody had left at 3PM. From the plant, Chair went to City Hall and found Mr Alvord and we spoke at length about the generators, the odor problem, and why he won’t tell us if extra manpower was called in the night of the problems at the plant on June 4th. The people who know how to operate the generators were all away that afternoon, for various training assignments and one of the generators was inoperable and waiting for parts. Inoperable generator was repaired the following day. There is a fine usually imposed for failure to run generators when requested, and Alvord believe OMI will be required to pay it, if it is imposed on the City
    .

  • 20 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 1:24 am

    reports, particularly 6-4, provoked considerable discussion. There is supposed to be provisions for dealing with heavy rain events that does not result in loosing content of settling tanks. Part of treatment process is bypassed and partially treated sewage is more heavily chlorinated. Concern seemed to focus on question of available manpower at the plant during predicted heavy rain event, and discovery of spill after it had gone on for unknown period, at 3:45AM. Aquaculture closed everything and sent someone down to go out with marine police and take samples. Police have the impression this is worst spill from WWT plant in memory.

    WASTEWATER TREATMENT
    Odor problem downwind of plant, seems to have returned. Spill on 4th is a concern.. Mr Pramer asks if commercial harvesters can get compensation from City for lost business..

    this was in June of last year even after all this we still are having problems. I assume when the new 300 units are built they will have porta potty’s.

  • 21 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 6:19 am

    #19 when did that happen?

  • 22 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    There is a fine usually imposed for failure to run generators when requested, and Alvord believe OMI will be required to pay it, if it is imposed on the City

    who owns the generators? Doesn’t the city?

  • 23 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 8:06 pm

    City owns the plant and the generators. OMI is a company with a contract to run, and maintain, the plant. Alvord figures that makes them liable for any fines for failures with maintenance or operation.
    Shellfish commission has kept after the City & OMI with very limited success. a lot of the entries here are direct quotes from sf comm meeting minutes.

  • 24 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2008 at 10:21 pm

    http://www.norwalkct.org/AgendaAction/Shellfish/actionsShellfishCommission.htm

    Maybe if the public understood the commission was also asked about paying compensation to the shellfish income loss more would realize whats going on.

    The meetings are on this link it shows police overtive and problems thay seem as a commission have been trying to deal with for years. Who helps them out if all they reach are deaf ears. You can read their frustration in the minutes. Who helps them out if the mayor doesn’t?

  • 25 npdinsider // Mar 31, 2008 at 1:49 pm

    WATER QUALITY
    Chair distributed reports of 07 summer water quality testing of Silvermine River, Norwalk River and Storm drains. Results are not good. Elevated ecoli levels continue to show up routinely and are much worse after any rain. An interesting observation is the normal effluent from the waste water treatment plant in Norwalk, when there is no rain event, is better than other parts of the river. Dick Harris explained the science in the reports. Chair is still studying the reports. It seems the same hot spots have persisted.

  • 26 Anonymous // Mar 31, 2008 at 2:00 pm

    Police OT 10-1-07 ($91.81)
    Police OT 10-9-07 ($380.87)
    Police OT 10-15-07 ($443.38)
    Police OT 10-22-07 ($58.59)

    This is aside from the police budget or part of the police budget?

  • 27 Anonymous // Mar 31, 2008 at 6:12 pm

    Does this mean we can need some sort of enforcement the city needs to address?

    Chair distributed reports of 07 summer water quality testing of Silvermine River, Norwalk River and Storm drains. Results are not good. Elevated ecoli levels continue to show up routinely and are much worse after any rain. An interesting observation is the normal effluent from the waste water treatment plant in Norwalk, when there is no rain event, is better than other parts of the river

  • 28 Anonymous // Apr 1, 2008 at 12:46 am

    This was back in 2003 , does King Industries still send this much to the facility or have they stopped?

    Ms. Clark stated that this was forwarded to them from CT DEP and has to do with a change in the permit; she reported the following: King Industries is permitted to currently discharge waters to the City of Norwalk Water Pollution Control Facility; this application seeks to modify the permit now in force. Presently, 43,000 gallons/day of laboratory and processes operations wastewaters from eight processes in their organic chemical manufacturing are treated by two carbon filers; some also receive neutralization. All are then combined in an equalization tank prior to discharge into the Norwalk sanitary sewer. Additionally, up to 72,000 gallons/day of treated groundwater is filtered to remove solids, then three carbon units are used in series to remove various volatile and semi-volatile organics prior to discharge into the Norwalk sanitary sewer. The proposed permit modification specifies a monthly frequency for monitoring and reporting of naphthalene (not currently required). The permit modification also adjusted the lower end of the PH range from 6.0 s.u. to 5.0 s.u.

  • 29 Anonymous // Apr 8, 2008 at 1:02 am

    Treatment plant upgrade to cost homeowners 6% more
    thank god its not more I say pay it solve our problems.

  • 30 Anonymous // Apr 8, 2008 at 1:04 am

    It’s estimated at about 6 to
    6.5-percent annual increases for a
    six-year period.” what a deal! I say pay it we need the work done.

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