LIMESTONE – A week ago, few knew where exactly the Greenlaw Stream was in Limestone. That’s not the case anymore, after a May 9 discovery found that over a million gallons of untreated wastewater had discharged into the small stream and it’s surrounding wetlands.
As a result, water samples taken from the stream by Department of Environmental Protection scientists early last week showed levels of E.coli nearly as high as those typically found in raw wastewater.
The discharge occurred upstream from the sewer treatment plant and downstream of the built-up portion of the former base — historically, the stream is a popular destination for fishing and picking fiddleheads right around this time of year.
According to Samantha Deproy-Warren, spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Director of Education and Outreach, most of the wastewater has been cleaned up at this point.
Over a million gallons of untreated wastewater had discharged into the stream over several weeks but was only discovered on May 9 due to it’s remote location.
“A build-up of several basketball sized rocks and a rubber traffic cone clogged the line, leading to its eventual break,” said Bill Sheehan, an environmental specialist from Maine DEP’s Presque Isle office.
The line repair was completed on May 11 and wastewater flow has been normal since.
While the public is encouraged to avoid contact with water in and around the stream, Limestone and Loring residents can rest assured that their drinking water is safe.
Limestone Water and Sewer Department Superintendent Jim Leighton said the phones were ringing off the hook on Friday with concerns.
“The line break has nothing at all to do with unsafe drinking water for the Loring Commerce Centre or Limestone,” Leighton said, again assuring that the water in town is, indeed, drinkable.
Cleanup and recovery of the waste in the wetlands began on May 11 and is being carried out by DEP staff in partnership with those from the Greater Limestone Utilities District and U.S. Fish and Wildlife. The departments will continue to monitoring the water quality and will alert the public when it returns to normal — something expected to happen later this month.
Notices about the contamination are being posted at access points along the stream.
