By MAX MARCUS
MONTAGUE — Untreated sewage leaked into the Connecticut River after a lighting strike Thursday night rendered the Montague Water Pollution Control Facility temporarily inoperable, said Montague Town Administrator Steve Ellis on Friday.
According to a Facebook post by the Connecticut River Conservancy, 280,000 gallons of partially treated sewage was leaked into the river near the confluence with the Deerfield River.
The wastewater was treated with chlorine, but did not go through the full treatment process before discharge. As of 4 p.m. on Friday, Ellis said the issue, which began around 5 p.m. on July 5, was “resolved.” The water treatment plant was functional by that time, too.
“Any time there’s an unintended discharge into the river, it’s a great concern to us,” Ellis said, adding that the town had advised both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection of the issue.
Greenfield Mayor William Martin said his community was notified by the Montague Water Pollution Control Facility Superintendent Bob McDonald that there was “dry weather event,” causing the discharge of untreated sewage into the river.
In talking about the possible impact on Greenfield, Mark Holley, water/wastewater superintendent for Greenfield said in a press release that there should be none since there is “no pathway to make it to our recreation or drinking water facilities.”
The Department of Environmental Protection advises the public should wait 48 hours, or until Sunday afternoon at the earliest, before going into the river.