PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Approximately 4 million gallons of partially treated wastewater has been discharged into Casco Bay, according to the Portland Water District.
Last weekend a power failure at the East End Wastewater Treatment Plant led to the discharge and subsequent closing of East End Beach, the Portland Press Herald reported.
According to a report filed with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, power was interrupted after 8 a.m Sunday and the backup generator failed due to loose bolts. The power failure caused 3.97 million gallons of wastewater that had not been treated with chlorine to be discharged.
The city closed the beach from Sunday to Tuesday and determined that the contaminants present were not a threat to the environment.
Test results indicated that the bacteria present in the water was “well below Maine’s safety threshold,” according to Jessica Grondin, spokesperson for the city.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection will decide what penalties will be applied for the discharge, which is a violation of the water district’s license.
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