Sewage Treatment Plant in Maryland Fails

Feb. 11, 2002
A sewage treatment failure in Hagerstown, Md., caused by a chemical leak sent millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into the Potomac River, city and state officials disclosed Saturday.

The failure at Hagerstown's municipal sewage treatment plant occurred gradually between late Friday and noon Saturday, according to Rich McIntire, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment.

By Saturday afternoon, sewage was being discharged into the river at a rate of 5.7 million gallons per day, McIntire said.

The river is a source of drinking water for the Washington area, but McIntire said there was no threat to the water supply because the polluted water would be diluted by the time it reached the area.

The sewage treatment system was corrupted by an unknown chemical that killed the microbes treating the water, said Rick Thomas, manager of Hagerstown's Water Pollution Control Department.

"We have a biological system here, with microbes that do the work of treating sewage," he said. "The microbes can not withstand the toxins from the chemicals."

Workers were trying to determine the type of chemical that got into the system and the source, Thomas said.

"We've been collecting samples all day and we'll be sending them to a private lab Monday for analysis," he said.

There was no immediate threat to public health, officials said.

The department notified water-intake plants downstream from Hagerstown and they were taking steps to protect their water supplies, McIntire said. He said signs would be posted near the river, warning of the danger.

There was little risk of people having contact with river water in February, due to the cold, Thomas said. Officials said the system would flush itself out and replenish itself.

"At this point there's no choice but to wait and let things run their course," Thomas said.

Source: AP

Sponsored Recommendations

Blower Package Integration

March 20, 2024
See how an integrated blower package can save you time, money, and energy, in a wastewater treatment system. With package integration, you have a completely integrated blower ...

Strut Comparison Chart

March 12, 2024
Conduit support systems are an integral part of construction infrastructure. Compare steel, aluminum and fiberglass strut support systems.

Energy Efficient System Design for WWTPs

Feb. 7, 2024
System splitting with adaptive control reduces electrical, maintenance, and initial investment costs.

Blower Isentropic Efficiency Explained

Feb. 7, 2024
Learn more about isentropic efficiency and specific performance as they relate to blowers.