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Manchester, NH, Completes First Round to Eliminate Sewer Overflows

Release Date: 01/10/2001
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042)

BOSTON – The city of Manchester, NH, has finished the first project in a $52 million program to eliminate 124 million gallons of sewage combined with stormwater that enters the Merrimack and Piscataguog rivers during major rainstorms.

In December 2000, the city finished separating a combined sewer overflow (CSO) system off Theophile Street in west Manchester. This project eliminates 2 million gallons of sewage that formerly discharged into the Piscataquog River, a tributary of the Merrimack. This is the first of eight CSO separation projects the city will undertake over the next seven years as a result of a 1999 agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the N.H. Department of Environmental Services.

"The elimination of the Theophile Street overflow pipe will immediately improve the water quality in a part of the river with the greatest potential for recreation," said Mindy Lubber, Regional Administrator for EPA New England. "Each step of the project that gets done will remove another pipe and more sewage from the Merrimack River, making Manchester's waterfront a cleaner and more attractive place for the city's citizens."

Combined sewer overflow pipes carry both sewage flows and stormwater runoff. Overflows occur when the city's wastewater collection system, which carries both sewage and stormwater, exceeds its capacity, causing untreated sewage and stormwater to be discharged through these outfall pipes. The discharges occur after rainstorms or when snow melts.

As part of the landmark agreement with EPA and DES, Manchester officials agreed to phase in CSO removal and to invest $5.6 million more in other environmental improvements in the city, including: $1 million for urban ponds restoration; $2 million to preserve valuable wildlife habitat and wetland areas, $500,000 to tackle childhood lead poisoning and asthma; $100,000 to develop an environmental curriculum for eighth graders, and $2 million to address storm water management and erosion control problems along the river and its tributaries.

"We greatly appreciate the City of Manchester's efforts to clean up the Piscataquog and Merrimack rivers, which are among New Hampshire's most important natural resources," said DES Commissioner Robert Varney. "The state will continue to provide financial assistance to the city to help ensure that these projects are completed as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible."

"We are pleased to be on our way towards a cleaner Merrimack River and a healthier city," said Frank Thomas, Public Works Director for Manchester. "Eliminating this CSO is just one step in our landmark agreement with state and federal environmental authorities, but it is important indication of our joint intent to protect the citizens and environment of the Queen City."

The city has already established a park system along both banks of the Piscataquog River, which includes athletic fields and walking trails. City residents now use the river and adjoining park for recreation and swimming. As the city promotes the park and makes plans for a new park downstream of Kelly Falls dam, recreational uses of the river are increasing.

Manchester officials first identified the need to separate the city's combined sewer pipes in 1995 when they began looking for a way to control CSO discharges, as required by EPA's CSO policy. The resulting plan showed that CSO discharges into the Piscataquog River caused the river to exceed state water quality standards for bacteria. Discharges also included paper and plastic waste that damaged the aesthetic appeal of the river.

Eliminating the Theophile Street CSO will eliminate all discharges of raw sewage from this area. The work also helps to reduce flooding downstream, thus reducing the cost of maintaining the system.

Across New England, EPA is working with 100 cities and towns with combined sewer problems to find ways to reduce this pollution and achieve the greatest environmental benefit. The existence of CSOs is a major threat to the health of our region's waterways. Although separation can be expensive, eliminating these discharges brings about significant environmental improvements. The Manchester agreement serves an example of how a community can work with EPA to come up with a common-sense approach that serves both the community's economic and its environmental needs.