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WATER AND WASTEWATER DIVISIONS

Haverhill's Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Program

One of the requirements of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is for the City of Haverhill to implement a CSO program. The goal of the program is to improve the quality of the Merrimack River by reducing or eliminating combined sewer overflow discharges. Haverhill's CSO program includes the following:

  • Phase I: Determine how Haverhill can best operate and maintain the existing sewer system to minimize CSO discharges and their impacts to the rivers. These findings were  submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 1 Base Line Conditions 1995

  • Phase II: Determine the frequency of combined sewer discharges and their influence on the Merrimack River. This phase includes developing ways to control CSOs based on the findings  Long Term Control Plan LTCP August 2002

  • Phase III: Develop a CSO abatement program based upon the findings in Phase I and Phase II. The CSO abatement program will focus on reducing CSOs to improve the water quality of the Merrimack River  Administrative Order 02-06

CSO Outfalls and Regulators:

There are 23 CSO regulators in Haverhill that are connected to 20 outfalls. Of the 20 outfalls,  five are located on Little River, and fifteen are located on Merrimack River Table 1 lists each outfall.

The CSO outfalls are all connected to the interceptor system via their own respective regulator structure. These regulator structures divert flow from the collection system to the outfall during wet weather when flow exceeds the hydraulic capacity of the interceptor. During dry weather, sanitary wastewater flow is conveyed directly to the interceptor system and, ultimately, to the WWTP for treatment.  

What Are Combine Sewer Overflows

EPA Web site define CSO with the following definition:

“Combined sewer systems are sewers that are designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined sewer systems transport all of their wastewater to a sewage treatment plant, where it is treated and then discharged to a water body. During periods of heavy rainfall or snowmelt, however, the wastewater volume in a combined sewer system can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant. For this reason, combined sewer systems are designed to overflow occasionally and discharge excess wastewater directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies.”

This picture represents a CSO regulator:

CSO diagram

Many of the control elevations in the regulator structures have been raised. These new, higher elevations reflect a decreased wet weather overflow of approximately 10 percent and reflect the city's ongoing commitment to reducing CSO discharges.  See the image

Table 1 CSO Outfalls - Click here:
 
Old Weir Elev.
New Weir Elev.
Amount Raised
NPDES #
      (ft.)  
HAVERHILL SIDE        
LOWER SIPHON CSO        
BATES 9.4 9.4 0 001
BOARDMAN 9.3 9.3 0 010
LOWER SIPHON 1 1 0 013
FIRE STATION 13.5 13.5 0 016
MAIN ST NORTH 19.3 19.3 0 019
MIDDLE SIPHON CSO        
LITTLE RIVER NORTH 12-INCH 9.25 11.77 2.52 021D
LITTLE RIVER SOUTH 18-INCH 9 9.5 0.5 021E
Center Barrell Locke Street) 12.92 12.92 0 021F
MIDDLE SIPHON 6.2 7.7 1.5 021A
Emerson Street Eliminated       021B
Essex Street Eliminated       021C
WINTER ST 27.02 27.02 0 21G
BROADWAY DIVERSIONAL 35.77 35.77 0 37
HIGH ST DIVERSIONAL 28.32 28.32 0 38
WINTER AND HALE 17.9 18.6 0 21H
UPPER SIPHON CSO        
RAILROAD BRIDGE 26.4 26.4 0 022
266 RIVER STREET 15 15 0 023
BEACH STREET 15.5 15.5 0 025
UPPER SIPHON 9.65 11.32 1.67 024
BRADFORD SIDE        
FRONT STREET 14.25 15.58 1.33 031
BRADFORD AVE 11 12.75 1.75 032
SOUTH PROSPECT 11.48 12 0.52 033
MIDDLESEX STREET 6.48 8.56 2.08 034
MAIN ST SOUTH 8.21 10.38 2.17 035
FERRY STREET 5.75 8 2.25 036
Mill Street Eliminated        
Why can't we reduce CSO impacts immediately? - Click here

Reducing CSO impacts is extremely expensive and challenging. Total separation of sanitary and storm sewers, although an option, is not economically feasible. Alternative approaches that have been used to control CSO impacts include:

  • Storage tanks
  • Storage tunnels
  • Discharge control gates
  • Treatment devices at CSO discharge points

Each alternative requires a great deal of planning and may be extremely costly. However, government authorities believe that through properly maintained and operated combined sewer systems, receiving water quality can be protected without separation.

What can you do? - Click here

Stay informed. The city of Haverhill wants the community to understand the importance of reducing CSOs. We will keep you up to date on Haverhill's CSO program.

Help us watch the quality of the river. If you spot floating material in the river or observe discharges to the river during dry weather conditions, please call 978-374-2382 so that we may correct the problem. Feel free to call Paul Jessel at 978-374-2382 or e-mail pjessel@haverhillwater.com with your concerns or questions about CSOs and the impacts. Your efforts will help us keep the rivers clean.

Meanwhile you can help minimize CSOs by implementing a recycling program in your own home and neighborhood. Everything that is tossed out into the street or poured down the drain enters the combined sewer system and during CSOs flows directly into the Merrimack River. By reducing the amount of toxic products in the home, reusing the product until finished or giving the product to someone who can use it, and recycling the container and contents, you can help improve the quality of our rivers.
Committed Actions - Click here

The city of Haverhill is committed to moving forward with programs that will clearly have a positive impact on water quality and use of the Merrimack and Little Rivers.  Programs that will have an impact and those that the city is committed to include:

  1. Construction of primary clarifier modifications at the treatment plant to ensure that process equipment is reliable and capable of treating existing and future flows as effectively as possible.  This is the first step towards increasing wet-weather capacity at the treatment plant and thus reducing CSOs. $2 Million  Completed June 2000

  2. Design and construction of a new grit removal facility to provide more reliable operation of the primary clarifiers and associated sludge removal equipment during wet-weather conditions. $6 Million Completed in March 2006

  3. Design and construction of upgrades to the plant influent pumping station, control gate, to allow for an increased plant wet-weather flow of approximately 60-mgd. $8 Million Completed in June 2006

  4. Design and construction of miscellaneous plant improvements to accommodate an increase to approximately 60-mgd of wet-weather capacity including a new secondary bypass conduit and associated control gates, instrumentation, and separate disinfection diffuser in the bypass conduit.    $3.5 Million completed in March 2006

  5. Design and construction of miscellaneous improvements at the Bradford-side CSO regulators to reduce CSO discharges.  These improvements include modifications to the Front Street, Middlesex Street, South Main Street, Ferry Street, and South Prospect Street CSO structures. $0.5 Million Completed in July 2006

  6. Continue implementation of the nine minimum controls as outlined in the CDM report tiled “City of Haverhill, Massachusetts Wastewater Division Draft Report on Nine Minimum Control Measures for CSOs” dated September 1996.

  7. Implementation of a CSO monitoring plan to further characterize CSO activation and to evaluate the effectiveness of the recommended improvements.  The monitoring plan was submitted to EPA under a separate cover, dated August 1, 2002.

  8. Continuing as an active participant in the Merrimack River Initiative and sharing in the costs necessary to ensure that a comprehensive, scientifically accurate study is completed. $0.1 Million. Phase I completed in July 2004 see the link below for the complete report. http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/projects/ma/merrimack/merrimack.htm

Implementation of the above, (total project costs of $20.1 Million) will increase WWTP capture to over 97 percent of all combined flows.  In addition, these projects will reduce CSO discharge volume by 67 percent and allow attainment of water quality standards at the mouth of the Merrimack River during a 3-month storm.  Click on the following link for the CSO volume reduction achieved after CSO construction completion. [http://www.ci.haverhill.ma.us/departments/water/waste_water/collection/cso/cso_summary_2006_with_changes.pdf]

Acting to control Stormwater pollution most effectively by investigating and correcting identified problems in the city’s storm drainage system that contributes to water quality problems in the rivers. Notice of Intent files in 2003 new permit shall be issued in 2008. See the link below for the City’s Stormwater Program.  http://www.ci.haverhill.ma.us/departments/stormwater/index.htm

Beyond implementation of these eight programs it is recommended that no further capital investment be undertaken by Haverhill to abate CSO flows until such time as water quality data from the Merrimack River Initiative is available.  As previously discussed, this data will establish bacterial quality of the river early on in the process to provide the CSO communities with information that can be used to provide a framework for CSO abatement decisions.  If this data demonstrates that water quality and river uses are significantly impacted by Haverhill CSOs, and that there is a clear benefit to the river if CSOs are abated further, then investments should proceed as dictated by the study. 

The estimated cost to capture the remaining 3 percent of the combine flows, is approximately $50- Million.  The City is facing increasing regulations from the EPA on Stormwater, CSO, and Wastewater Treatment Plant loadings. There are limited funds to carry out these specific  regulations as well as further CSO mitigations.
A clear plan for environmental restoration of the river is what is needed through targeted investments.  This plan must be based on a full understanding of all the issues facing the river.  This way the right investments can be made and the public at large can see the real benefit of these investment.

EPA official CSO web page can be found at the following link.
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=5

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection MDEP official CSO web page can be found at: http://www.state.ma.us/dep/dephome.htm<

CSO Summary 2007

APPENDIX A: CSO SUMMARY CALANDER YEAR 2007

Before Weir was Raised

STRUCNAME
fullname
npdes
events
volMG
hours
NLSIGTOF Lower Siphon 13 4 3.6992564 9.37
NMDH04W Winter Street & Hale St 021H 8 1.5098829 12.76
NMESOF-D Middle Siphon 21 6 4.2453488 17.64
NMMSE3 Little River East 021E 10 3.6382122 25.87
NMNS01B Little River West 021D 4 0.1885259 10.51
NUSIGTOF Upper Siphon 24 4 5.307434 10.51
NUWS02WR River Street 23 1 0.0035156 0.38
SLSB08WR Ferry Street 36 3 0.2727432 2.62
SLSB10WR South Main Street 35 10 0.9895068 57.76
SLSB12WR Middlesex Street 34 8 18.299244 1147.1
SMSB01WR South Prospect Street 33 4 0.2158354 9.38
SMSB03WR Bradford Avenue 32 12 5.3050479 37.88
SUSB02WR Front Street 31 5 1.2761553 15.01
NLRS28WR Bates Bridge 1      
NUMN04WR Beach Street 25      
NLRS04WR Boardman Street 10      
NLWS09WR Fire Station 16      
NLMI12WR Mill Street ---      
NLWS13OF Main Street - North 19      
NUWS09OF Railroad Bridge 22      
NMBR02W Broadway Regulator        
NMHI01W High Street Regulator 38      
 Totals:       44.950708  

After Weir Was Raised

STRUCNAME
fullname
npdes
events
volMG
hours
NLSIGTOF Lower Siphon 13 2 0.7751524 2.62
NMDH04W Winter Street & Hale St 021H 4 0.1201438 3
NMESOF-D Middle Siphon 21 2 0.5697516 4.5
NMMSE3 Little River East 021E 5 0.8823857 7.86
NMNS01B Little River West 021D 2 0.036076 2.62
NUSIGTOF Upper Siphon 24 2 0.724812 3
NUWS02WR River Street 23 1 0.0035156 0.38
SLSB08WR Ferry Street 36 2 0.0149376 1.5
SLSB10WR South Main Street 35 2 0.2183412 3.38
SLSB12WR Middlesex Street 34 4 6.1829755 111
SMSB01WR South Prospect Street 33 2 0.0277732 2.62
SMSB03WR Bradford Avenue 32 6 1.8565285 21
SUSB02WR Front Street 31 2 0.111826 3.38
NLRS28WR Bates Bridge 1      
NUMN04WR Beach Street 25      
NLRS04WR Boardman Street 10      
NLWS09WR Fire Station 16      
NLMI12WR Mill Street ---      
NLWS13OF Main Street - North 19      
NUWS09OF Railroad Bridge 22      
NMBR02W Broadway Regulator        
NMHI01W High Street Regulator 38      
        11.524219  
CSO Total Calendar YEAR 2007     56.47 MG

 If Weir Was Raised For The Entire Year

STRUCNAME
fullname
npdes
events
volMG
hours
NLSIGTOF Lower Siphon 13 6 5.5601308 12.74
NMDH04W Winter Street & Hale St 021H 12 1.6295778 15.76
NMESOF-D Middle Siphon 21 8 4.9189976 22.14
NMMSE3 Little River East 021E 15 4.5217498 33.73
NMNS01B Little River West 021D 6 0.2202187 13.13
NUSIGTOF Upper Siphon 24 6 6.0275336 13.89
NUWS02WR River Street 23 1 0.0035156 0.38
SLSB08WR Ferry Street 36 5 0.2874714 4.12
SLSB10WR South Main Street 35 12 1.207474 61.14
SLSB12WR Middlesex Street 34 10 18.337011 1150.9
SMSB01WR South Prospect Street 33 6 0.2422847 11.63
SMSB03WR Bradford Avenue 32 18 7.1756986 58.88
SUSB02WR Front Street 31 7 1.4751158 18.39
NLRS28WR Bates Bridge 1      
NUMN04WR Beach Street 25      
NLRS04WR Boardman Street 10      
NLWS09WR Fire Station 16      
NLMI12WR Mill Street ---      
NLWS13OF Main Street - North 19      
NUWS09OF Railroad Bridge 22      
NMBR02W Broadway Regulator        
NMHI01W High Street Regulator 38      
        51.606779 1416.8
CSO Total       51.61 MG

 

 
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Office of the Mayor
City of Haverhill, Massachusetts
City Hall, Room 100, 4 Summer Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
mayor@cityofhaverhill.com
978-374-2300

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