Torrential Rains Cause Sewage, Stormwater Spill

Little Patuxent River

 As you may, or may not, know, the East Coast was hit with major winter storms over the last week, most notably Wednesday, when we had 2 inches of rain, and place up the road had 4 or more. Flood warning were widespread due to overloaded streams, and storm tides up to 5 feet above normal flooded coastal areas. As is often the case, local infrastructure was not adequate to take care of the problems. WUSA 9, 138,000 gallons of sewage overflow leads to precautionary health alert in Howard Co.

A precautionary public health alert has been issued following a sanitary sewer overflow in Savage.

According to the Howard County Health Department, the sanitary sewer overflow happened at 8900 Greenwood Place. The Department of Public Works was first notified of a potential overflow on Tuesday around 10 p.m. 

Personnel noticed the overflow and shut off the valves necessary to stop it. By 10:15 p.m., the overflow had been halted.

Part of the approximately 138,888 gallons of sewage overflow traveled overland and into the Little Patuxent River. Most of the overflow went down a storm drain, which also discharged into the river.

At the time of the overflow, the river had overtopped its banks and was flooding. The health department is alerting the public as a precaution but signs will not be posted as the area is not accessible to the public.

Most of the time, the Little Patuxent River is a small stream, barely trickle in summer, but with the heavy rains, I'm sure it had plenty of water to dilute it with. 

At the DCist, During Storm, New Tunnel Kept 233 Million Gallons Of Sewage Out Of Anacostia River

Tuesday was a wet one, with 2.24 inches of rain falling in the District — the highest single-day rainfall total in the past year. It was also the biggest test of a giant new sewer tunnel running beneath the city, meant to prevent sewage overflows into the Anacostia River and reduce neighborhood flooding.

The Northeast Boundary Tunnel, or NEBT, went online in September, promising to reduce sewage overflows in the Anacostia River by 98%.

During Tuesday’s storm, the tunnel captured 267 million gallons of stormwater and sewage, preventing it from spilling into the river.

“Before this tunnel was built, all of that flow would have overflowed into the Anacostia River,” says John Lisle, a DC Water spokesperson.

The tunnel did fill to capacity at about 8pm on Tuesday. About 112 million gallons were discharged into the Anacostia once the tunnel was full.

Water and sewage captured by the tunnel is later treated at DC Water’s facilities, and then discharged into the Potomac River, sans harmful bacteria and other pollutants. As of Wednesday afternoon, the tunnel was still being pumped out.

The new tunnel is about 5 miles long and is part of a new 13-mile system that has a total capacity of 190 million gallons. Before the project, the District’s old sewers would dump overflow into the Anacostia 84 times a year. Now it’s expected to happen just twice a year.

While the NEBT was designed to help clean up the river, as required by under a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it also helps drain stormwater from low-lying neighborhoods that have a history of flooding including Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park. The tunnel reduces flood risk in the area along Rhode Island Ave., NE, that flooded District Dogs in August, killing 10 pets.

112 million gallons is still a lot of water.