On Sept. 17, Woodstock Fire and EMS wrote on their Facebook page that “The Bridgewater sewer treatment facility by the Mill Mall has been discharging untreated sewer in the Ottauquechee river since August.”
The post advised people to avoid the river until further testing to avoid contact with sewage. The plant released 96,200 gallons of partially treated sewage into the river.
An employee for Simon Operation Services, which runs Bridgewater’s waste facility, said that the sewage had undergone some disinfection, but its overall toxicity was unknown.
According to Randy Miller, a lawyer for the Agency of Natural Resources, the agency has applied for an emergency enforcement order that would halt all discharges.
