[T]he Town of Brandon has been fined $12,000 by the state for releasing over 3 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Neshobe River last year, and for failing to report the incident in a timely fashion.
The town, which operates one of the state’s 92 water treatment facilities, had a ruptured sewer line running alongside the river in February last year. The pipe hadn’t been inspected since some time between 2011 and 2013. It was originally installed in the 1930s.
The cause of the rupture was likely erosion and river migration that slowly exposed and damaged the pipe, according to a press release from the Agency of Natural Resources. The event resulted in the discharge of untreated sewage into the river, and the flow of river water into the wastewater treatment facility, which disrupted the treatment process.
The sewage flowed from two separate holes in the pipe, which was 12 inches in diameter.
Because of a nonfunctioning alarm, operators were not immediately made aware of the failure, according to the aggency. High water flow later that day triggered an investigation into the source of the river water, however, the Department of Environmental Conservation was not notified until after the ruptured pipe was discovered nearly two weeks later.
Operators are required to report to the DEC within 24 hours of discovering “an event that causes noncompliance with wastewater discharge permit.”
The pipe was repaired the day after the rupture was discovered.
DEC Commissioner Emily Boedecker said in a statement that the state’s aging municipal wastewater treatment facilities and sewer system can present challenges for their operators.
“It is critical that operators take all necessary measures to minimize the potential for and damage from accidental releases, including performing routine inspections, testing alarms, and promptly notifying DEC when compliance issues arise,” she said.
“Timely notification not only ensures that public health concerns can be addressed, but also enables the Department to ensure that facilities promptly identify and resolve the underlying problem.”
The Town of Brandon agreed to pay the fine for the unpermitted discharge and delayed reporting.
