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Combined Sewer Overflows
Mid-Atlantic Combined Sewer Overflows Quick Finder |
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National Information
Combined sewer overflows (CSO) are typically found in older cities. These
systems were designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage,
and industrial wastewater all in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined
sewer systems transport all of their wastewater to a sewage treatment
plant. However, during periods of heavy rainfall or melting snow
the volume of wastewater going into the pipes can exceed the capacity
and excess wastewater empties directly into nearby streams, rivers,
or other water bodies. The Mid-Atlantic Region has a high concentrations
of these systems.The major challenge in the Mid-Atlantic is that many communities have an very old infrastructure that was designed and built prior to modern sanitary engineering practices. Sewage was discharged directly to storm sewers that flowed to receiving streams. The human health effects of untreated sewage discharges (PDF) (26 pp, 175K, About PDF) are an increased incidence of gastrointestinal illness, primarily from contact recreation, such as swimming at beaches.
Many communities in the Mid-Atlantic Region have received funding assistance to help address their CSO problems. Some of the funding has been provided directly by EPA and other funding has been made available through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program.
Related Mid-Atlantic Information
An illustration of the three types of systems that
are used for sewage and stormwater disposal.
Larger version of graphic.
CSO Communities (database) in the Mid-Atlantic
Mid Atlantic Region is First with Recovery Act Grant for Clean Water State Revolving Fund - On Friday March 27, EPA Region III awarded a $48.9 million grant to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP). The award will fund the WVDEP Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan program and will assist communities in constructing needed wastewater facilities, create jobs, protect the environment and boost local communities. The $48.9 million is 80% of the $61.1 million provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for award to the West Virginia CWSRF program. The remaining 20% ($12.2 million) will be awarded later in 2009 for projects that incorporate green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency, and environmentally innovative solutions.
Wastewaster Treatment Plan Improvements Will Reduce Wet Weather Overflows in Pennsboro, West Virginia – The City of Pennsboro, West Virginia was awarded a $542,200 grant for construction of improvements at the City’s existing wastewater treatment plant. The City’s treatment plant and sewer system was constructed in the 1960’s, and the sewer system is subject to excessive infiltration and inflow which causes surcharging and overflows during wet weather events. As a result, the treatment plant violates its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for exceeding flow limits during significant rainfall. The City will construct a new influent pump station, a new preliminary treatment facility/equalization basin, a new ultraviolet disinfection system, and a metering flume and outfall structure. The treatment plant improvements will maximize capacity for flows during wet weather events and enhance operation of the plant. The additional storage capacity will reduce overflows and surcharging in the sewer system during wet weather which will improve water quality in Bunnell Run and North Fork Hughes River, and improve the public health for the residents of Pennsboro. In addition, the City will reduce violations of its NPDES permit due to exceeding flow limits. EPA will provide a 55% grant which will help pay for the estimated $2,776,000 project cost. Construction is expected to start in December 2009.
Cape Charles, Virginia, Plugs a Sanitary Sewer Overflow - EPA has awarded a $662,900 grant to Cape Charles for installing 2,000 linear feet of 6-inch diameter force main which will divert the Fig Street pump station’s wastewater flow from Mason Avenue sewer to Cape Charles wastewater treatment plant. Also, Cape Charles will be upgrading 4 wastewater pump stations—Mason Avenue, Pine Street, Plum Street and Washington Avenue—by replacing pumps and electrical controls and making other necessary repairs. The goal of this project is to eliminate a sanitary overflow at the Mason Street pump station. The overflow discharges to Cape Charles Harbor 
which connects to the Chesapeake Bay. The Mason Street pump station is the main pump station of the Town’s wastewater collection system, and it does not have sufficient capacity to pump all of the wet weather wastewater flows to the wastewater treatment plant. Upgrading the pump stations will improve their performance which will increase their wastewater flow capacity. Also, by diverting the Fig Street pump station’s wastewater flow from Mason Avenue, it will provide additional capacity for wet weather flows. The grant is being funded at a Federal share of 55%, based on an eligible project cost of $1,205,273.
The City of Frostburg (MD) reduces wastewater discharges to local Creeks and the Chesapeake Bay - EPA has awarded $765,900 in a grant to the City of Frostburg for the separation of an old combined sewer system along Mechanic Street. The City is under a Consent Order by Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to replace all combined sewer lines with separate storm water and sanitary sewer lines. The current combined sewer system is subject to excessive inflow and, during storm events, surcharging of the system has been documented. This project will reduce combined sewer overflows; thus reducing raw wastewater discharges to local groundwater and surface waters. Consequently, the project will contribute towards improved public health for those residents that are subjected to untreated sewage discharges as a result of combined sewer overflows. Additionally, the health of the surrounding environment, including the watersheds of George’s Creek and Wills Creek, and the Chesapeake Bay, will be protected from nutrient and bacteria-laden sewer overflows.
The City of Shinnston, West Virginia reduces sewage overflow to the West Fork River -- Shinnston, WV was recently awarded an $866,000 grant to replace portions of the combined sewer system in the downtown area of the City. The changes include replacing an existing sewage pump station, and slip-lining significant portions of the existing sanitary sewer system that are subject to excessive infiltration and inflow. The City currently has 10 permitted combined sewer overflows (CSO) that discharge raw sewage into the West Fork River during wet weather events. This project will eliminate a majority of the stormwater entering the City’s sewer system during wet weather which will reduce the frequency and duration of sewage overflows to the West Fork River, and reduce the volume of wastewater entering the treatment plant. The reduction of sewage overflows will improve the water quality in the West Fork River while helping to protect public health for the residents in the City. In addition, the City will make improvements at their existing wastewater treatment plant to include a new belt filter press for sludge processing and rehabilitate the bar screen structure at the headworks. The federally funded project will improve operation at the treatment plant while saving energy and treatment costs. Construction is expected to start in June 2009. Read the West Fork River TMDL
