MassDEP and Town of Spencer Enter Into Consent Order
To Address Issues Connected to April Water Quality Incident

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Town of Spencer have entered into a consent order addressing issues related to the overfeed of Sodium Hydroxide into the municipal water system on April 25, 2007. The overfeed resulted in the medical transport of over 100 people who experienced symptoms related to the exposure and a temporary cessation of the use of water ordered by MassDEP until the system could be flushed to remove the contaminated water.

The order requires a number of upgrades to the municipal water system and improvements to the alarm systems that monitor chemical usage at the town's water treatment plant.

The order assesses a $34,250 penalty, but suspends a majority of the penalty (all but $2,000) pending compliance with the requirements of the order to make improvements to the water system (including alarm systems), to establish an environmental management system for the Office of Utilities and Facilities and Water Department, and to perform a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP). The SEP involves the preparation of a training program on lessons learned from the incident to train water system operators to avoid the potential for future incidents.

"During the course of negotiating this order, MassDEP's focus was on putting in place system improvements, including redundant alarm systems, to ensure the safe delivery of water to the public in Spencer," said Martin Suuberg, director of MassDEP's Central Regional Office in Worcester. "The town was fully cooperative in MassDEP's investigation and in negotiations leading up to this order."

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