QUECHEE — The Hartford Public Works Department is working on making improvements to the Quechee Wastewater Treatment Plant after a series of tests showed elevated E.coli levels in the facility’s discharge into the Ottauquechee River.
“These elevated bacteria levels may affect portions of the Ottauquechee River and Dewey’s Pond,” town officials wrote in a Wednesday news release. “Out of an abundance of caution, residents and visitors should avoid swimming, wading, boating, fishing, or drinking water from the affected areas until further notice. Exposure to elevated bacteria levels may pose a risk to public health.”
Workers will conduct daily tests at the facility until E.coli levels go below the roughly state-mandated 77 E.coli colonies maximum per instantaneous grab sample, Max Tier, chief operator for Hartford’s public works department, wrote in an email.
“It isn’t trending in a consistent direction but seems to come and go in waves,” Tier wrote, noting the mix of higher and lower results in the last few weeks. “This fact makes it very difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for the higher results.”
Workers are looking at a series of potential causes and putting plans in place to address them.
“The three major areas that we are investigating are the UV disinfection system, our laboratory procedures, which should comply with the state of Vermont’s Laboratory Procedures and guidelines, and the biological treatment occurring in our (sequencing batch reactor),” Tier wrote about the plant’s treatment system.
Swimming in waterbodies with higher E.coli levels “may result in health effects such as minor skin rashes, sore throats, diarrhea or more serious problems,” according to the Vermont Department of Health.
Updates will be posted to the town’s website, hartfordvt.gov.
