Raw sewage released from manholes along the Housatonic River As a kid, I used to explore the wetlands and river between the Holmes Road river bridge and the Pittsfield Wastewater Treatment Plant. There is a sewerline easement that makes for an easy walk between the two places, and there are many neat places to explore between the easement and the river.However, yesterday (10/15/09) when I was there, there was evidence that the manholes that cover the sewerline have released raw sewage! This is an easement along the Housatonic River.
| This is an easement along the Housatonic River. Here's a link to a google map showing the location. (pictures from October 15, 2009) | |
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| Inflow and Infiltration are two ways that water gets into a sewer system when it is not supposed to. (See the definitions of Inflow and Infiltration below.)What’s wrong with that you might ask. Well, when lots of water gets in, for example during a heavy rain storm, it can increase the amount of water arriving at the sewage treatment plant by four times. This can be more than the plant can handle – so the dirty water gets released directly, untreated or minimally treated, into the river. That is a problem! |
In August, 2008, the City of Pittsfield, MA began to take action to detect Inflow and Infiltration by doing “smoke testing”.Here is the paper they left at every house in the areas that were to be tested.And here are pictures of the actual testing.   In this area they didn’t find any problems. You could see the “smoke” coming out the vent pipes from many people’s homes, but this isn’t a problem. It is a vent from the sewer line. If smoke comes out of a storm drain, or out through someone’s basement from a sump-pump, or something like that – then there is a problem. |
| Definitions according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection from their document “310 CMR: 44.00: DEP SELECTION, APPROVAL AND REGULATION OF WATER POLLUTION ABATEMENT PROJECTS RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE REVOLVING FUND ” Infiltration: Water other than wastewater that enters a sewer system (including sewer service connections and foundation drains) from the ground through means which include, but are not limited to, defective pipes, pipe joints connections, or manholes. Infiltration does not include, and is distinguished from, inflow.Inflow: Water other than wastewater that enters a sewer system (including sewer service connections) from sources which include but are not limited to, roof leaders, cellar drains, yard drains, area drains, drains from springs and swampy areas, manhole covers, cross connections between storm sewers and sanitary sewers, catch basins, cooling towers, storm waters, surface runoff, street wash waters or drainage. Inflow does not include, and is distinguished from, infiltration. Here is a link to the document (.doc) from which this is taken. |
In this area they didn’t find any problems. You could see the “smoke” coming out the vent pipes from many people’s homes, but this isn’t a problem. It is a vent from the sewer line. If smoke comes out of a storm drain, or out through someone’s basement from a sump-pump, or something like that – then there is a problem. 
