A computer glitch led to the spill of hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw sewage into a Massachusetts lake.
Worcester city officials issued a no swimming advisory for Lake Quinsigamond until further notice, due to the sanitary sewer overflow into the lake that occurred Tuesday morning between 7 and 7.30am.
Recreational activities, including boating, were also prohibited.
A computer glitch led to the spill of hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw sewage into a Massachusetts lake. Worcester city officials issued a no swimming advisory (flag pictured) for Lake Quinsigamond until further notice
The sewage release occurred for about an hour and 15 minutes, after the computer glitch shut down pumps at a city sewer pumping station near Belmont Street.
Philip D. Guerin, the director of water and sewer operations for the city of Worcester, told the Telegram & Gazette that officials have not yet determined how much sewage spilled.
‘What we encountered was a glitch in the computer operating system that was telling the system that it had very little flow, so it told the pumps there was very little flow when in fact the flows were at their normal level early in the morning,’ Guerin said.
Bacteria from the overflow can increase the risk of getting sick by consumption of contaminated water, which is what prompted the no swimming advisory.
A few people said when they arrived at the lake, which is a part of a state park, they were not told at the gate that the lake was closed to swimming.
The Lake Avenue station is the largest pumping facility in the city, and it’s capable of pumping 20 million gallons a day.
City officials said they will continue to monitor and sample water to ensure recreational ‘water quality standards are within acceptable limits’ before allowing swimming (file image) and other activities
According to Guerin, the facility was rebuilt and went back into operation in 2015.
‘What we have now is probably the most high-tech, sophisticated facility we own and manage. It has lots of instrumentation, all run by computer, and makes adjustments depending on what is happening,’ he told the Telegram.
City officials said they will continue to monitor and sample water to ensure recreational ‘water quality standards are within acceptable limits’ before allowing swimming and other activities.
The system was brought under control around 8.45am.