When most people flush the toilet, they don’t linger to think about where it all goes.

Behind the scenes, the people running wastewater treatment plants work tirelessly on one of the most important yet underappreciated public services. Treatment systems only make headlines when things go wrong, such as in recent months when unlucky Connecticut residents have been subjected to the sights and smells of sewage floating down the Connecticut River. Incidents like these are becoming more common as aging wastewater treatment plant infrastructure struggles to keep up with increased demand.

Across Connecticut and the entire eastern United States, vital steps to replace and update our old wastewater treatment plants are underway; however, updating the pipes and buildings alone will not be enough. We must rethink the whole management structure and soon — before the problem gets much worse.

Many overflows come from an old model of combined sewage-stormwater systems. For these systems, a heavy storm can overwhelm infrastructure, leading to the release of sewage. In recent years, Connecticut has taken steps forward, moving from over a dozen combined systems down to only four; Hartford’s MDC facility is one of the remaining combined systems.

In response to recent overflow events, some Connecticut state representatives have argued that these overflows are mostly rainwater, and much of the resulting public health advice is to avoid swimming or fishing for a few days before returning to normal. This advice suggests that the effects of a sewage outflow are fleeting — which may protect us from E. coli and algal blooms — but neglects the slower, growing threat of chemical contamination.

My research focuses on chemical contamination of water in the environment. Untreated sewage often contains industrially produced chemical contaminants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), suspected to increase risk of cancer and pregnancy complications based on studies by the National Institute of Health. After being deposited from the overflow, these chemicals degrade very slowly and can remain in the water column for decades. Each outflow event adds another drop in the bucket of chemical contamination that affects our waters, fish, and eventually, us.

The situation will only become more dire as intensified storms, rising sea levels, and increasingly common extreme weather, pushes our wastewater systems beyond their limits.

There has been finger-pointing and blame over contamination of the Connecticut river across the Connecticut and Massachusetts state line. Rather than squabbling, now is the time to focus on cross-border cooperation.

In the middle of New England fall, there’s nothing better than heading to a local farm and picking up fresh apples, pumpkins and warm baked goods.

KILLINGLY, CT — Police on Wednesday identified both the man who was fatally shot Monday night and the woman accused of shooting him.

The victim, Andrew Michael Olson, 39, of Canterbury, was shot in the chest at a residence at 23 Pratt Rd., according to state police.

Police have arrested Michelle Yeagher, 65, of 23 Pratt Rd., Killingly, for the slaying.

Yeagher is charged with murder, carrying a dangerous weapon, risk of injury to a child, and first-degree reckless endangerment.

Police have not yet disclosed the relationship between the victim and the suspect, or any potential motive.

Yeagher remains in custody, held on a $1 million bond. She has been arraigned in Superior Court in Danielson. She has not yet entered a plea, and she is next due in court on Dec. 11, according to the state Judicial Branch website.

State police said they responded to Yeagher’s residence at 23 Pratt Rd. around 9:21 p.m. on Monday for a report of a shooting.

Troopers found the male victim suffering a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to state police. He was rushed to Day Kimball Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased, state police said.

State police arrested Yeagher at the residence.

The homicide investigation remains active and ongoing, according to police. The Eastern District Major Crime Squad is in charge of the investigation.

Read more:
State Police Probe Homicide In Killingly