50,000 gallons of sewage discharged into Connecticut, Mill rivers on Sunday

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield's sewer system discharged nearly 50,000 gallons of wastewater into the Mill and Connecticut rivers on Sunday.

This is not the first instance of sewage being discharged recently, with 6 million gallons of sewage overflowing into the river on May 24.

The most recent discharge came from pipes near the end of Longhill Street around 8:35 p.m. Sunday, the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission reported. Communities affected Sunday were Springfield, Agawam and Longmeadow.

Springfield's old and outdated drainage system shares the same pipes between sewers and storm drains, forcing an overflow of water and sewage when strong rainstorms occur. Sewage overflow should only be in issue for a few more months, since the four-year, $137 million York Street Pump Station project is due to be completed this summer.

The project, which began construction on West Columbus Avenue in 2019, will result in the wastewater being piped from Springfield under the Connecticut River to the Springfield Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility on Bondi's Island in Agawam. The hope is that sewage discharges will decrease dramatically, because of the increased capacity.

On June 11, Springfield is hosting the Ironman 70.3 Western Massachusetts, which includes a 1.2-mile swim in the Connecticut River. The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission strongly recommends avoiding contact with polluted waterbodies for 48 hours after a discharge, leaving enough time for dilution before the Ironman takes place.

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