NY Times: As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways

[marmar]

As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways
By CHARLES DUHIGG

Published: November 22, 2009


It was drizzling lightly in late October when the midnight shift started at the Owls Head Water Pollution Control Plant, where much of Brooklyn’s sewage is treated.

A few miles away, people were walking home without umbrellas from late dinners. But at Owls Head, a swimming pool’s worth of sewage and wastewater was soon rushing in every second. Warning horns began to blare. A little after 1 a.m., with a harder rain falling, Owls Head reached its capacity and workers started shutting the intake gates.

That caused a rising tide throughout Brooklyn’s sewers, and untreated feces and industrial waste started spilling from emergency relief valves into the Upper New York Bay and Gowanus Canal.

“It happens anytime you get a hard rainfall,” said Bob Connaughton, one the plant’s engineers. “Sometimes all it takes is 20 minutes of rain, and you’ve got overflows across Brooklyn.” ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/us/23sewer.html?_r=1&hp

[Captain Hilts]

1. I lived in Newport and knew that Nor'easters made the plant over-run, but this is terrible. nt

[pscot]

2. Not much of a treatment system

if a 20 minute shower can overwhelm it. Sounds like they've been screwing the pooch, while pretending to take care of business.