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Watershed Access Lab Projects Watershed Access Lab

2009

The Effect of the Waste Water Treatment Plant onthe Nemasket River

This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Recommended CitationApponequet Regional High School, Lakeville, Massachusetts (2009). The Effect of the Waste Water Treatment Plant on the NemasketRiver. In Watershed Access Lab Projects. Project 76.Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/wal_projects/76

Amanda Eloma, Jen Frazier, Caitlyn Coelho, Hannah Harkey,

Lizzy Iolli, Vicky Gavin, and Hillary Locke

Our Question: Will the Middleboro Wastewater Treatment Plant have an effect on the water quality of the Nemasket

River?

The Middleboro Wastewater Treatment Facility

• Plant is 40 years old built in the 1960’s

• Designed to process

water from city of Middleboro and the production facility of Ocean Spray cranberry co.

Vaughan Street

• Drains a Wetland • Rocky Bottom

– Boulders • 0% Canopy • Wide

Upstream

Downstream

Route 105

• Not a lot of in stream vegetation

• Gravel Bottom • Canopy:

– 80 % Downstream – 30% Upstream

Downstream

Upstream

Murdock Street

• A lot of in stream vegetation

• 50% Canopy • Rocky Bottom • Grasses on

upstream side of river.

Upstream

Downstream

We believe that the Middleboro Wastewater Treatment

Facility is a factor in the Nemasket River’s Water Quality.

• Why?

– The pH is greater at Murdock in both October and March data.

– The plant also discharges 0.2 mg/L of phosphorous in the effluent.

– Nitrate Load is much greater at Murdock site because the Waste Water treatment plant converts ammonia in the effluent to nitrates.

– The macroinvertebrates were inconclusive because it does not follow historical data

Conclusion

In the Future…

• Water quality of the NMK is affected by the nitrates in the water.

• Mr. Cialo expects the state regulations to change in the near future and is preparing already.

The Nemasket Group

We Would Like to Thank… • Dr. Kevin Curry (Bridgewater State College) • Kim McCoy (Bridgewater state College • Mr. Cialo (Wastewater Treatment facility) • Mrs. McNally (Apponequet High School) • Mr. Lincoln (Apponequet High School)