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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: October 2, 2003
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM NOTIFIED OF SEWAGE DISCHARGE INTO THE BLACKSTONE RIVER DUE TO POWER FAILURE AT WORCESTER WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

PROVIDENCE -- The Department of Environmental Management was notified this afternoon that sewage is being discharged into the Blackstone River just south of Worcester, from the Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District wastewater treatment facility. The plant is located at the head of the Blackstone River.

DEM was notified by Massachusetts environmental officials that a power failure at the Massachusetts plant is the cause of the discharge, which began around 3 p.m. today. Estimates are that up to one million gallons of untreated sewage were released into the Blackstone River from 3 to 4 p.m. While the discharge still continues, at 4 p.m. the facility was able to begin treating the sewage with chlorine. The plant remains without power at this hour; emergency generators, which will stop the discharge of untreated sewage, are expected to be online at the facility sometime around 6 p.m.

DEM is notifying officials from communities along the Blackstone River about the discharge, and will continue to monitor the situation throughout the next several days. It is still too early to determine what effects, if any, the discharge will have on Rhode Island waters. DEM has estimated that the discharge could show up in the Rhode Island portion of the Blackstone River in about 16-20 hours, or as early as 6 a.m. Friday. DEM further estimates that it will take another 8-10 hours for the discharge to reach the head of Narragansett Bay, which could be as early as 3 p.m. Friday. Factors such as dilution and die-off of bacteria in the sewage as it travels down the river could minimize harmful effects, such as elevated bacteria levels in the Blackstone River and upper Narragansett Bay.

As a precaution, the Department of Health and DEM are advising people to refrain from contact recreation along the Blackstone River and to avoid consuming fish from the river at the present time.

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