The Town of Palmer Wastewater Treatment Facility is located on the banks of the Ware River and discharges the treated effluent into the Chicopee River between the old Tambrands building and F & D Tool Company in the village of Three Rivers. The Palmer Wastewater Facility is responsible for improving water quality to a Class B status that promotes recreational use of the Chicopee River. Not only does the river support a healthy aquatic population, a direct result of higher dissolved oxygen levels, several species of birds have been observed by plant personnel including
numerous Bald Eagle sightings around the plant.
Over the last ten years the Town of Palmer has made progress addressing and eliminating combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In the late 1980’s there were twenty-six permitted CSOs and by 2004 the number was reduced to only six. Plant influent flows are now less affected by wet weather or heavy rainfall resulting in more stable plant operations.
Startup: 1979
Service Population: 18,000
Flow: Design 5.6 mgd; Daily Average: 2.3 mgd
Type: Conventional activated Sludge
Facility Grading: 6
Sewer System: 58 miles, 10 Pump Stations, 50 Grinder Pumps, 6 Combined Sewer Overflows
NPDES Permit Limits
BOD: 30 mg/l monthly; 45 mg/l weekly, TSS: 30 mg/l monthly; 45 mg/l weekly
Chlorine Residual: 0.11 mg/l (seasonal), Phosphorus: 1.0 mg/l monthly; 2.0 mg/l weekly
Fecal Coliform: 200 monthly/geometric; 400-colonies/100mg/l daily
PH: 6.0-8.3
Copper: 50ug/l monthly; 53 ug/l daily, Aluminum: 905ug/l monthly
Average Removal: 95%-99 %
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