Worcester DPW&P Sewer Operations is responsible for the operation and management of sewer infrastructure, which includes three components:
- Sanitary sewer system. This system carries wastewater from homes and businesses through a series of pipes to the Upper Blackstone Clean Water treatment plant.
- Stormwater system. This system collects rainwater from city streets, sidewalks, and parking lots and directs it to the nearest waterway.
- Combined sewer system. This system collects both sewage and rainwater in the same series of pipes and sends it to the Upper Blackstone Clean Water treatment plant before releasing it into the Blackstone River.
Overflow (CSO/SSO) Incidents
Sign Up Now to Receive CSO Alerts
The City of Worcester along with MassDEP recognizes the importance of notifying the public when untreated sewage flows into Massachusetts waters. Within two hours of a combined sewer overflow (CSO) or certain sanitary sewer overflows (SSO), an email will be sent to subscribers advising of the date, time, and location of the overflow. Follow-up notifications will be emailed every eight hours until the overflow stops. Notifications will be provided in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
As part of our planning process for the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Long Term Control Plan, the City of Worcester prepared and submitted a Final CSO Public Notification Plan to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) in accordance with An Act Promoting Awareness of Sewage in Public Waters.
Most Recent Notifications
What is a Combined Sewer Overflow?
Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) in Worcester
Explanation of what Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) are and how you can support the City's efforts to reduce CSOs.
Watch Now!
With intense rainstorms, which happen more frequently now, stormwater flow exceeds the capacity of the system. When that happens, partially treated stormwater and wastewater can overflow into the Blackstone River leading to a combined sewer overflow (CSO) event.
Some of the oldest pipes in the City are combined sewers, many of which were made of brick in the mid to late 1800s when downtown Worcester was far less developed with less stormwater runoff. Decades ago, when heavy rains caused CSOs, the mix of stormwater and sewage would flow untreated to the Blackstone River. In the 1980s, Worcester became one of the first cities in New England to construct a CSO treatment facility that partially treats CSOs before they enter the Upper Blackstone River.
Overflow Treatment Facility
The Quinsigamond Ave Combined Sewer Overflow Treatment Facility (QACSOTF) functions as a sewer pumping station during dry periods or small rain storms when only sewage or sewage mixed with moderate amounts of runoff is flowing through the combined sewers.
The facility pumps this sewage to the Upper Blackstone plant for treatment. When heavy rains occur the facility switches to treatment mode. After treatment, the flow moves into the former Mill Brook, then eventually discharges into the Blackstone River. Since the QACSOTF discharges to the Blackstone River, it is regulated by the USEPA and MassDEP under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program under the Clean Water Act.
Where is the Combined Sewer Outfall in Worcester?
The combined sewer outfall in Worcester is behind the Walmart located on Tobias Boland Way.
How Can You Help?
Support the City's efforts to reduce CSOs by doing these things before, during, and immediately after a rainstorm:
- Delay showers and baths
- Flush the toilet less often
- Don't run the dishwasher or washing machine
By reducing the amount of wastewater going into the sewers during rainstorms, we can move more rainwater out of flood-prone areas and reduce the number of pollutants and bacteria in CSOs.
Solutions
The City has made substantial investments in reducing CSOs and is currently updating our CSO Long Term Control Plan to develop strategies to further reduce CSOs. To learn more about how you can get involved in the process, visit Clean Worcester Waters.
Contact Information
Address
Water and Sewer Operations
20 East Worcester Street
Worcester, MA 01604
Contact
Phone: 508-929-1300
Fax: 508-799-1448
Email Us
Hours
Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.