Cooler evenings during the last 30 days have resulted in improved water quality at all harbors monitored by East Norwalk Blue (ENB). Water temperatures versus last year are one to two degrees colder than what was observed for the same period in 2016. While not a major change in temperature, the corresponding increase in dissolved oxygen levels has been dramatic with observed values as high as 10 ppm in the northern (landward) end in some of the estuaries monitored by ENB. For comparison, the CT DEEP guidelines are no less than 5 ppm. Even the highly stressed waters at the northern end of Norwalk Harbor are recovering to levels that will support fish by the end of September. All of this means better life support for the large schools of bunker moving upstream to the headwaters as they do in late summer and early fall. In short, chances of a major fish kill along our coast in September have all but disappeared for 2017.

–Dick Harris

August is generally the month when Norwalk Harbor water is under stress from rising temperature. Marine water known as the tidal wedge underlies the incoming fresh river water. We rely on the river to move the oldest water of the wedge seaward so that clean, well-oxygenated marine waters can enter the harbor mouth and work their way upstream to replenish older marine water which is low on dissolved oxygen and subsequently dangerous to schools of fish.

When the harbor landscape was originally comprised of many acres of marshland, millions of gallons of water were distributed across this entire area on flood tide. That water was available on ebb tide in combination with flow from the Norwalk River to flush the harbor. Those marshes have been replaced with structures and extensive bulkheading which now leaves us with the river and north winds to help flush the estuary. This process is inefficient and consequently the Norwalk River flow harbor does not remove older marine waters quickly. The area with the oldest, oxygen-depleted tidal water is found at the far northern end at Wall Street. Dissolved oxygen levels at a depth of 2 feet below the surface are too low to sustain schools of fish. With help of a greatly improved waste water treatment plant, pump-out boats from East Norwalk Blue, water quality expertise from the Harbor Watch staff at Earthplace and Norwalk’s Public Works Dept. the amount of impaired water in the harbor has been held to the last hundred yards of harbor waters at Wall Street for the last 10 years. This is a major increase in water quality from events in the 1990s when the oxygen depleted area advanced downstream as far as the Maritime Center resulting in large fish kills.

Nevertheless, elevated water temperatures in August and the presence of very large schools of Menhaden (Bunker) stretching from the harbor mouth all the way upstream to Wall Street can pose a threat to a large school of fish now residing in the surface waters at Wall Street. Bunker crowd into this area at the end of summer for reasons known only to them. This phenomena has been observed for the last three years by Harbor Watch staff. The danger exists in that the fish are mainly relying on the oxygen in the surface flow from the Norwalk River and there are little in the way of oxygen reserves below the top layers of the water column to sustain them. One strong factor in their favor is that water temperatures are two to three degrees lower than last year at this time based on Harbor Watch records. Water temperature on 8/11/16 was 75 degrees at Wall Street and on 8/10/17 it was observed at 72 degrees due to the cool evenings. This drop in temperature has helped maintain dissolved oxygen in the marine water at Wall Street although still not at the levels to sustain a large school of bunker. It presently looks promising that Norwalk Harbor will avoid a large fish kill at Wall Street. The last major fish kill in Norwalk Harbor was in 2005.

 

-From the Desk of Dick Harris, ENB Marine Specialist

Ralph Kolb, Senior Engineer with Norwalk’s Public Works Department recently issued a report listing the last 11 years concerning the number of sewage leaks discovered and repaired. Over 40 leaks of various types (everything from broken pipes to illegal hookups) have been identified and repaired. Many of these directly impacted Norwalk Harbor. A review of this list showed over a dozen discovered by the Harbor Watch Organization of Earthplace in Westport. Harbor Watch has worked diligently in a unique Partnership with Public Works to identify sewage leaks using E. coli bacteria tests to identify sources which are then turned over to Public Works for repairs

 

Harbor Watch continued this pattern of successful monitoring  during the last several weeks with a discovery of two more broken sewer systems, one at Riverside Ave and New Canaan Ave (repaired  7/18) impacting the Norwalk River and a second leak at Merritt Place and Chestnut Street in South Norwalk which entered the Total marine storm drain system and discharged to Norwalk Harbor near the South Norwalk Boat Club. In making repairs to this last manhole on 7/28 Public Works identified a third leak in the same area at Day Street which was repaired on 8/4. Credit for the fast action on all these leaks goes to Ralph Kolb and his crew at Public Works. As a result, the water quality in Norwalk Harbor has dramatically increased during the last 12 years with higher dissolved oxygen levels and no major fish kills observed which is a big change from the 1990s.

 

The Harbor Watch discovery of the leak at the Total Marine outfall was also confirmed from by E. coli tests  by a new water quality monitoring group on Norwalk Harbor, East Norwalk Blue, a non-profit group dedicated improving water quality of Norwalk Harbor and five other marine embayments from Stamford to New Haven as sponsored by Norman Bloom and Son LLC.  East Norwalk Blue also manages a  fleet of four pump-out vessels to help in protecting the waterways along the same stretch of shoreline as a free service to reduce pollution in Long Island Sound. All three groups work together in a very rewarding partnership where each element provides information to identify and solve pollution problems very rapidly.and get the necessary repairs completed in a timely fashion.

Below is a list of water quality pollution sources that were identified by various Norwalk City Departments or other organizations (non-profits  Harborwatch, Earthplace, East Norwalk Blue) and investigated by WPCA/OMI/DPW and resolved.

Those in bold were identified through efforts of the non-profits listed above.

2017: 

• August 03, 2017 – Near 43 Day St – sewer main leaking into stormwater system – point repair completed (repaired on 08/04/2017)
• July 28, 2017 – Near 8 Merrit Place – sewer main leaking into stormwater system – point repair completed (repaired on 07/28/17)
• July 18, 2017 – Riverside Ave and New Canaan Ave – Sanitary sewer MH was missing blocks on side of manhole – sewage leaking into Norwalk River during high flow (repairs made on 07/18/17)
• May 16, 2017 – 12 Cesare St – water main break into stormwater system (repaired)

2016:

• September 28, 2016 – 13 Folwell Road – private sewer lateral failed and leaking stormwater system – property owner was notified to repair the lateral (lateral repaired on 10/28/16)
• September 07, 2016 – 10 Heather Lane – private sewer lateral failed and leaking into private sump pit that pumps to street and into CB – property owner was notified to repair the lateral (cleared lateral blockage 09/09/16)
• August 15, 2016 – 84 Ferris Ave – sewer main leaking into stormwater system – point repair completed (repaired on 08/15/16)
• August 05, 2016 – 24 Camp St – partial sewer main collapse leaking into stormwater system – point repair completed (repaired on 08/05/16)
• 1 Mott Ave – discovered cross connection – CB connected to stormwater and sanitary sewer system (disconnected on Aug 03, 2016)
• Walnut and Birch St sanitary sewer main – leaking into stormwater system – point repair and CIPP lining (repaired)
• Ellen St at Chestnut Hill Rd – large water main break into stormwater system – (repaired)
• 20 Paradiso St – failed sewer lateral leaking into stormwater system (repaired)

2015:

• Lockwood Lane sanitary sewer main – leaking into stormwater system – point repair and CIPP lining (repaired)
• Clara Dr – sanitary sewer main repairs – replacement and CIPP lining (repaired)
• 23 Clara Dr – repair of leaking sewer lateral through stormwater pipe (repaired)
• 17 Theodore Ln – septic tank overflow pipe (no leach field) connected directly to CB (repaired)
• 46 Barbara Dr – failed sewer lateral leaking into stormwater system (repaired)
• 60 Barbara Dr – failed sewer lateral leaking into stormwater system (repaired)

2014:

• 12 Frances Ave – failed sewer lateral leaking into stormwater system (repaired)
• 2 Washington St – sanitary sewage connection to stormwater system – Norwalk Health Department has taken action against property owner
• 12 Wilton Avenue – failed sewer lateral leaking into stormwater system (repaired)
• 47 Wall St – failed sewer lateral leaking onto RR tracks (repaired)
• 31 Concord St – failed sewer lateral leaking into ground (repaired)
• 7 Midwood Rd – septic system connected directly into stormwater system (disconnected)
• 101 Tindall Ave – vehicle washing wastewater to stormwater system (disconnected)
• 191 Main St – vehicle washing wastewater to stormwater system (disconnected)

2013:

• 11 Lower Rocks Ln – failed sewer lateral leaking onto road surface (repaired)

2012:

• Non Identified

2011:

• 35 Elmwood St – failed sewer lateral leaking onto road surface (repaired)
• 188 South Main St- failed sewer lateral leaking onto road surface (repaired)
• Sanitary manhole on Woodward Ave – leaking into stormwater system (replaced)

2010:

• Calf Pasture Beach Concession Stand – drains connected to stormwater system (disconnected)
• 139 West Rocks Rd – failed sewer lateral leaking into stormwater system (repaired)
• Orchard St – discovered cross connection – CB connected to stormwater and sanitary sewer system (disconnected)

2009:

• 4 Taft St – industrial discharge (marble and tile) discharging into stormwater system (disconnected)
• 7 James St – failing septic system discharging into Silvermine River (repaired)

2008:

• 12 Sunset Hill Ave – failed sewer lateral leaking into stormwater system (repaired)
• Norwalk River Stormwater Outfall – private contractor working on Main Avenue connected a sewage bypass pump to the stormwater system (disconnected) 
• 9 Wilton Ave- plugged sewer lateral leaking into Norwalk River (blockage removed)
• 10 Catherine St – oil water separator connected to stormwater system (disconnected)

2007:

• 40 Cross St – sanitary sewer lateral directly connected to stormwater system (disconnected)
• Button Ball Trail – private sanitary sewer common lateral failed discharging onto road and into stormwater system – City intervention (repaired)

2006:

• Manholes at Taft St at RR – discovered cross connection – PVC pipe connecting storm and sanitary manholes (disconnected)
• Catch Basin at 13 Victory Ct – discovered cross connection – CB connected to stormwater and sanitary sewer system (disconnected)

 

— Dick Harris