Waste and Sewage
A mishap sent an estimated 800,000 gallons of partially treated sewage into Lake Michigan at the Jones Island Treatment Plant. The mistake occurred as the facility tested a new computer operating system.
Workers were testing gates for an underground channel at the plant when the gates opened on Wednesday morning. The gates were closed in about 30 minutes. Dumping partially treated sewage is banned but allowed during heavy rains or other periods of wetness.
Considering recent weather has been dry, the discharge could be in violation of the district's state operating permit.
The effluent was disinfected and solids had been filtered from it. But the sewage bypassed one of three treatment stages at the plant. It may take several days to determine if the concentration of the discharge also violated state pollution standards.
State pollution standards had never been violated when sewage was dumped in the past after heavy rain swamped the system. Learn more about water quality.
March 31, 2006 6:21 AM | Category: Water