Wastewater systems are a critical component of the health and safety of a community. The U.S. has more than 16,000 wastewater treatment plants, and according to American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), those plants operate at 81 percent of their capacity on average and 15 percent have exceeded it. As populations continue to increase, the number of systems overextended also increases underscoring the importance of regular maintenance and upgrades. Although untreated releases happen with less frequency than in the past due to federal and state regulations, malfunctions and shutdowns still occur that endanger public health and the environment. 

The city of Worcester, Massachusetts recently experienced such a release at the Lake Avenue pump station. The facility was built in 1935 and has the capacity to pump 20 million gallons of wastewater per day, the largest station in the city’s sewer system. Prone to overflows, upgrades were made to the system in 2015 to increase capacity; however, even with upgrades, overflows have still occurred on several occasions. In February 2022, such an overflow occurred when one of four pumps at the station suffered a mechanical failure. Consequent flooding of the station triggered an electrical failure of the remaining three pumps triggering the discharge six million gallons of untreated wastewater into to Lake Quinsigamond, violating the state’s Clean Water Act.

Nearly a year after the event, the city reached a settlement with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Per the settlement agreement, the city is required to “conduct a forensic evaluation of its Lake Avenue Pump Station, submit a report with a long-term plan and schedule for improvements to the pump station, and update its response plan for notifications and coordination with stakeholders around the lake.”[1] The city is also required to pay $13,000 to the state in damages. 

Repairs and upgrades to the station are estimated at $6 million. A $1 million bond has been issued by the state toward the pump station’s improvements.[2]

[1] Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. “MassDEP Assesses Penalty to City of Worcester for Sewage Discharge to Lake Quinsigamond in February 2022.” Mass.gov, 9 Dec. 2022, https://www.mass.gov/news/massdep-assesses-penalty-to-city-of-worcester-for-sewage-discharge-to-lake-quinsigamond-in-february-2022.

[2] Marino, Tom. “$1m Bond Issued for Repairs at Lake Ave Pumping Station.” This Week in Worcester, 4 Jan. 2023, https://thisweekinworcester.com/1-million-bond-lake-ave-pumping-station/.