Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “Upon hearing about the CSO discharge public advisory notice from the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, I reached out to Josh Schimmel, Executive Director of the Commission for review and clarification on the alert notice. Upon investigation by the Commission, it was reported back to me that the Commission found that the automated alarm was false. No discharge into the Connecticut River occurred. I want to thank Josh and his dedicated team at the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission for their efforts in making sure that Springfield and all of the communities which this regional utility serves continue to have strong water and sewer service. It is a well-known fact that we have one of the best water systems in the country and we continue to invest to ensure its quality.”
Below is the updated notice from the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission.
The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is issuing a correction to its recent CSO Public Advisory issued on June 4 at 8:35 PM. After receiving the automated alarm, staff investigated the data as it appeared incongruous with recent weather patterns. The investigation determined that the alarm was false and there was no discharge into the Connecticut River at that date and time. A notification was sent on Monday, June 5 at 10:19 PM to all CSO Public Advisory recipients reflecting this correction.
The Commission’s CSO Public Notification system relies on automated sensors at each of its 23 combined sewer outfalls to alert of CSO discharges into the Connecticut, Chicopee and Mill Rivers. Data is analyzed following each event in order to ensure accuracy of the results. The reliance on sensitive instrumentation in harsh environmental conditions such as debris and flooding, as well as technology failures despite routine maintenance, can lead to false alerts. The limits of technology to respond the state-mandated CSO Public Advisory regulation is a known risk, and procedures are in place to inform the public of false alerts.
As a reminder, any time a CSO Public Advisory is issued, the public is advised to avoid contact with the affected water bodies for at least 48 hours. The public may sign up to receive CSO Public Advisories at SpringfieldAlerts.com.
For more information, please visit the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission website at: www.waterandsewer.org
Original source can be found here.
