DEM NOTIFIED OF SEWAGE DISCHARGE INTO THE BLACKSTONE RIVER IN AUBURN, MA DUE TO PUMPING STATION FAILURE

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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:	September 2, 2005
Contact:	Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402 Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM NOTIFIED OF SEWAGE DISCHARGE INTO THE BLACKSTONE RIVER IN AUBURN, MA DUE TO PUMPING STATION FAILURE
Residents Advised to Refrain from Contact Recreation Along the Blackstone in Rhode Island Pending Water Quality Sampling Results

PROVIDENCE -- The Department of Environmental Management was notified late Thursday afternoon that approximately 600,000 gallons of sewage was discharged into the Blackstone River just west of Worcester, due to the failure of electrical control and alarm operations at the Auburn Sewer Department's Pinrock Road pumping station. The Auburn, Massachusetts pumping station is located on the Worcester Flood Diversion canal, approximately 1.3 miles upstream of the main stem of the Blackstone River. The junction of the canal and the river is approximately 24 miles upstream of the state border.

The failure of the sewer pumping station, which occurred late Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning, resulted in a back up sewage in the vicinity of the pumping station. Sewage was discharged from an overflowing manhole to the Worcester Flood Diversion canal adjacent to the pumping station. The Auburn Sewer Department notified the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) that the pumping station was back in partial operation by mid-morning Thursday, with enough capacity to prevent further discharges to the canal.

It is still too early to determine what effects, if any, the discharge will have on Rhode Island waters. MassDEP has taken water quality samples to determine whether the discharge has elevated bacteria levels in the river. Those sample results are expected today. 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 Rhode Island portion of the Blackstone River.

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

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