CORRY — Corry’s wastewater treatment plant has been discharging more wastewater and pollutants into a local creek than is permitted by the Clean Water Act.
The city will need to build a new treatment plant in order to reduce discharges. Construction cost is estimated at $40 million.
The new wastewater plant is part of a remediation plan approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in November and a December consent agreement between the city, its municipal authority and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The city additionally has agreed to take short-term actions to reduce discharges until the new plant is built.
The violations
Corry’s wastewater treatment plant exceeded permitted discharges into Hare Creek 15 times between February 2019 and September 2022, according to a May 2023 inspection by the EPA.
The federal Clean Water Act regulates discharges from wastewater treatment plants through permits that limit the types and levels of pollutants released into waterways. Hare Creek connects with Brokenstraw Creek and the Allegheny River.
The Corry plant also failed to accurately measure pollutants discharged into the stream, including fecal coliform, a bacteria from human or animal feces. Other pollutants included suspended solids, copper, and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, a substance used to increase product plasticity and flexibility.
The plant additionally failed to implement a preparedness, prevention and contingency plan including best practices to prevent the discharge of pollutants into the creek. It also failed to conduct and document stormwater inspections, according to the consent agreement. Regular inspections are required to look for evidence of pollutants entering waterways.
What’s next?
Corry’s wastewater treatment plant, located on Sciota Street, treats wastewater for between 6,000 and 8,000 residents of Corry and portions of Columbus, Concord and Wayne townships. It was designed to treat and discharge up to 3.5 million gallons of wastewater daily.
Corry and its municipal authority will apply for grants or low-interest loans from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority to finance the construction of a new wastewater plant with increased treatment capacity.
Construction will begin once financing is arranged and the city obtains the necessary permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
It’s estimated that it will take two years to build the new plant.
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Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: New $40M treatment plant needed to reduce discharges into Corry creek