Rutland, Vergennes release over 1 million gallons of untreated wastewater into Lake Champlain tributaries

The cities of Rutland and Vergennes released more than 1 million gallons of untreated wastewater into Lake Champlain tributaries last week, an event that the EPA acknowledges violates federal law. State and local officials say they’re pursuing efforts that will over time eliminate such incidents, but funding for needed improvements in those communities and others is sparse.

Legislators are working on a bill that would strengthen reporting requirements for overflows like these, to better notify the public when sewage enters public waterways. The discharges, called combined sewage overflows, happen in communities where sewage and stormwater are sent through the same system of pipes, meaning heavy rain can overwhelm the wastewater treatment plant.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.addisonindependent.com

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