ยท A June 23 Metro article and its accompanying graphic incorrectly reported how much sewage overflowed into Prince George's County's Broad Creek in 2007. About 1 million gallons overflowed into the creek that year.
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Residents Blame National Harbor for Sewage Spills
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The commission responded that its plan significantly addressed the new development. The EPA rejected the plan June 11, citing a variety of shortcomings in the data provided.
David Sternberg, spokesman for the EPA's mid-Atlantic region, declined to comment on whether the agency believed National Harbor contributed to overflows at Broad Creek.
Two WSSC commissioners said in interviews that they did not force the development to make infrastructure improvements beyond what is normal for any business or residence connecting to the sewer system.
Andre Gingles, an attorney for the Peterson Cos., which developed National Harbor, said the group did everything that was required before hooking into the system -- including water and sewer infrastructure improvements that cost about $19 million. That includes a $7 million pumping station to handle sewage.
"The way these things go, there's a capacity analysis that's done. . . . We can't hook in unless that analysis shows that we could sort of go in there," he said.
The development's new station has had no spills, but the troubles arise when the sewage reaches the Broad Creek pumping station, which receives all of the waste discharged from National Harbor on its way to the Piscataway Waste Water Treatment Plant farther south.
On May 11 and 12, a powerful storm swept into the Washington area, dumping four inches of rain on most of the region. Overloaded by the influx of water, the Broad Creek station dumped 3.7 million gallons of waste into the creek.
Jim Neustadt, a WSSC spokesman, said rainfall generally correlates with the overflows, noting that in 2007, when parts of the region were suffering from a drought, only 150,000 gallons overflowed into Broad Creek.
"There was less than 33 inches of rainfall the entire year. By contrast we have had almost 27 inches of rain so far in 2008," he said.
The WSSC approved purchasing two generators last week for $9.6 million for the Broad Creek pumping station. Officials said they will be operational by next year. The commission also plans to build a new force main -- essentially a bigger pipe -- so that the pumping station can increase its capacity from 37 million gallons a day to 55 million gallons of waste a day.
That will cost more than $50 million. Neustadt said it should be completed by 2012.
Residents said the fixes are too little, too late, and they wonder whether they will happen at all. At least twice before, the WSSC promised to get generators for Broad Creek but didn't, they said. Neustadt said the commission was not satisfied with the bids it received.
"Does it satisfy me?" said Peter Masciola, a Broad Creek resident. "No. I'd like it tomorrow. I'd like it a year ago."
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