BRISTOL -- A pump failure at the sewage treatment plant yesterday sent millions of gallons of untreated human waste spewing from manholes onto nearby streets, and streaming into some homes through basement toilets and washing machines.
One homeowner reported a foot and a half of raw sewage in his basement yesterday morning, and similar scenes were expected in dozens of homes across the south end of town as residents returned home in the evening.
"There are things you hope will never happen, and this is one of them," Town Administrator Diane Mederos said.
As heavy rains fell throughout the day, the police cordoned off streets in affected areas -- largely between Wood and Hope streets, between Wally and Griswold -- and public health officials warned residents to stay clear of the sewage if possible.
"This is raw, undiluted and untreated sewage," said state Health Department spokesman Robert Marshall. "During a day like today, people should exercise good judgment, not let kids play in puddles. The primary concern about human waste would be bacteria, and then to some degree viruses and parasites."
Health officials said that drinking water was not affected.
For those homeowners with contaminated basements -- the general number should be known today -- the cleanup could be long and expensive, Marshall said.
The Health Department is urging residents to throw away anything porous touched by the sewage -- including furniture, clothes, carpeting, and cardboard boxes.
"Residents can wash things with hard surfaces with warm soapy water and bleach, but other things can harbor bacteria and pathogens for a long time," Marshall said.
Local officials learned of the problem yesterday shortly after 9 a.m.
One of the sewage treatment plant's two pumps has been out of service since last week, with a stress-crack on both bolts.
"For some reason, this morning, the other one decided to stop running," said Matthew Calderiso, Bristol's superintendent of water pollution control.
And the emergency pump also failed because of an apparent hydraulic problem. Town officials brought in a portable bypass pump soon thereafter, but the replacement could handle a small portion of sewage pumped by the larger machines.
Houses in low-lying areas were immediately inundated with waste, which poured in through basement toilets and washing machines. Contamination continued throughout the day, as heavy rains put additional strains on the system.
The treatment plant wasn't functioning properly until about 5 p.m., when two more portable pumps were brought in.
"So far we've got over three inches of rain since midnight. It hasn't stopped," Calderiso said around noon. "We are going out and knocking on doors to see who has a problem. We don't know the severity of it yet, because a lot of people are still at work."
Local officials used chemicals to treat some public streets, but Calderiso said it was difficult to gauge the impact on public health.
"We're treating some of it with chlorine, but any time there's raw sewage it's always a health concern," he said.
The Department of Environmental Management joined the Health Department downtown yesterday to assess the impact on public health and shellfish populations along Bristol Harbor.
DEM issued an advisory yesterday afternoon announcing that waters within Bristol Harbor would be closed to shellfish harvesting beginning today at sunrise until further notice.
In all, between two and four million gallons of untreated sewage was discharged yesterday, according to DEM.
It is unclear who would bear responsibility for the pump station failures and subsequent damage to local homes. Mederos said she was discussing the situation with the town's insurance company.
Marshall said that yesterday's situation was unique.
"We've had untreated sewage go into the Bay on occasion, other sewer line breaks in places, but I think the fact that the sewage treatment plant isn't functioning makes this a little different than some other problems and challenges we've faced," he said. "Our advice is still the same. People need to wash their hands with warm soapy water. Often."
To contact staff writer Steve Peoples, phone (401) 277-7459 or e-mail SPeoplesATprojo.com
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