For Immediate Release: 2/8/2022 1:57 pm
WORCESTER – At 5:45 p.m. on Feb. 7, a pump at the Lake Avenue Sewer Pumping Station was successfully re-started, bringing an end to the wastewater overflow into Lake Quinsigamond.
The problem began on the morning of Feb. 6 when a leak on a wastewater pipe flooded the dry well portion of the station — the area that houses pumps, motors, electrical equipment and controls — causing the system’s pumps to stop. Because electrical equipment was submerged, a number of critical components had to be inspected and partially rebuilt before the large pumps could be test run.
Electricians and technicians worked over two days to dry, repair, and replace components in the station so that a pump could be safely re-started. A fleet of tanker trucks was brought to the scene to intercept as much flow as possible by pumping from the station’s inflow sewer.
With the pump station out of service for 36 hours, it is estimated that 4 million gallons of untreated wastewater entered Lake Quinsigamond. The tanker trucks called into assist may have prevented another 200,000 to 500,000 gallons from entering the lake.
The City of Worcester Division of Public Health and the Department of Inspectional Services have issued a public health advisory as a precaution.
The Department of Inspectional Services has begun water sampling where open water is available. The testing will continue based on the results of the laboratory bacteria results.
Individuals should not use the lake for recreational activities such as ice fishing in the vicinity of the pumping station at 83 Lake Ave. and to the south of it until further notice.
While the station is operating once again, plans to install an emergency bypass pump system remain underway. Bypass piping is being installed at the site and three large pumps are scheduled for delivery later on Feb. 8. The bypass pumping will remain a permanent part of the facility. It will serve as an external backup pump system for use in emergencies or for planned shutdowns needed for maintenance and repairs.
The Lake Avenue Sewer Pumping Station is the City’s largest pump station with a capacity to handle up to 20 million gallons per day. At this time of year, on a dry day, the station pumps about 3 million gallons daily. The station was rebuilt in 2015 to give it the capacity to handle high flows during heavy rains.
