Bates College SCARAB Walter Lawrance Papers Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library 10-1971 Mill Pollution Walter A. Lawrance Bates College Follow this and additional works at: http://scarab.bates.edu/lawrance Part of the Earth Sciences Commons, and the Environmental Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Walter A. Lawrance Androscoggin River Studies Twenty Ninth Annual Report, October, 1971, Androscoggin River Studies, Box 6, Folder 1, Walter A. Lawrance Papers, Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library at SCARAB. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walter Lawrance Papers by an authorized administrator of SCARAB. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER STUDIES TWENTY- NINTH ANNUAL REPORT 1971 by Walter A. Lawrance Lewiston , Maine October, 1971 I I I I I - I I r­ I I I I I I I I I I -+-HH-+-,I-+-I(j, I :b- IV I I 1 I I , I , I I I I ~ I I I I I I I I I 1 i+ I f f I I 1-,,; I ~++~~+++4~~~H~~~~~- ~~I~_ ~-;~~1 0 I I I Th'f- I I • I I 1 I I I 1 I I I j I I I L I I I I i I I '-V /VI I .....1 I i­ I 1 , ~""" I I+' rll..... I I I I I I I V J }A-f I ~ , . ...I . I L I----.LLL I • L';W I I I I I I I ! I I I I 1 I , I ! t I I , , I , I I I I I I I I I I I I I ~ I ;." ;., -r---H+ 1 I I 11 1-l­ V f-1-W-+ I '-9-H-+ 1 I -l -FFFI 1:<= _ I lL!' I I 1 I I I I I I 1 =I;t:-j­ I - I I I --+++I-H-H I I I I I I - I I I 'PL, I I I I I I I I I K-l ~-+±f , I I 1 I I I I I + 1 I 1= I-f- H-f­ I I I f:T I -r I I I -l I I I I I I I : 1 1 I I L 1 ..­ \ TWENTY - NINTH ANNUAL REPORT 1971 INDEX ' Pages 1. Mill Pollution to the Androsoogg1n River 1 to 28 2. Androscoggin R1ver and Pool 1 to 41 Dissolved Oxygen and other tests Special Studied: Foam, Conduct vity S.S.l to 18 3. Androsoogg1n Pool 1 to 50 Bioohemical Activ1ty 4. Lewiston-Auburn General Data 1 to 24 5. Press Repoz'ts 1 to 82 6. Summaries; One. Two. Thr e and Four (P1aoed in front of Page one. Part One) 7. Oomputer Sheets. Baok of Report :!<o pC)tYW\- 5.S .. L- 2.0 T\VENTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT 1971 PART ONE ESTIMATED POLLUTION LOADS TO ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER SUMMARY 1. The estimated daily average B.0.D.5 pollution loads, discharged to the Androscoggin River during the season, June one to September eleven and for a five week period, July five to August seven, were estimated to be: June 1-Sept.11 July 5-Aug.7 a. Brown Company 108,100 106,000 b. Oxford Paper Co. 70,750 62,750 c. International Paper Company Androscoggin Mill 37,070 40,210 Otis Mill 10,790 6.710 d. Total 226,700 215,700 2. Calculations for K1 indicate a variable but usually a high rate of Biochemical Oxygen Demand consumption in the river, from Berlin to North Turner Bridge. 3. The statistics for each sampling station are tabulated and summarized. 4. The average daily Pollution Loads (B.O.D.5 passing certain "key" locations were recorded as: Station July 5 - Aug. 7 June 1 - Sept. 11 a. Gorham (P.S.) N.H. 107,460 1bs 111,000 1bs b. Rumford (V.B.) Me. 28,360 " 32,350 " c. Riley Dam 47,270 " 54,020 " d. Livermore 70,770 78,580 e. North Turner Bridge 66,060 " 72,610 " into Andr. Pool " " 41 TWENTY -NINTH AtTNUAL REPORT PART TfflO ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND OTHER TESTS Summary 1971 1. From Berlin to Lewiston the condition b£ the river water was worse than in 1970. The quality of the water deterio­ rated rapidly during the seoond week of July and remained in a poor condition for the remainder of the season. Low flows, high temperatures and serious losses from the Mills were important factors . 2. Aeration at Riley Dam averaged 2. 0 ppm, equivalent to 26200 1bs. of oxygen per day. From July 26 to September 11 the average increase was 2. 5 ppm or 28700 lbs. per day_ Aeration in the Livermore Falls area appears to have been about 12000 1bs . ' oxyg n per day. Without this additional dissolved oxygen, conditions in the Pool and in the Lewiston area would .have been disastrous. 3. Discharge of pollution from the mills 'shut- down' and 'start-up' periods , for the July fourth and Labor day holidays, produce serious conditions . Additional efforts should be made to reduce the pollution load to a much lower level. 4. Two serious mechanical break- downs at Oxford Paper Company's Rumford mill resulted in large losses of white liquor. The second loss was a major factor in a large fish-kill. 5. Investigations, experiments and studies of Surfaoe Tension and oam are reported here; also Oonductivity and its relation to pollution from the mills . 6. Conductivity measurements may be employed to rapidly deter­ mine whether an unusual pollution load is originating at the local mill or an upstream source . 7. A brief summary of the work done on the Foam problem by the International Paper Company is included in this section of the report. 50 TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT PART THREE Androscoggin Pool 1971 Summary 1. The Androscoggin Pool downstream to Deer Rips Dam , was in a very bad condition from mid-June to mid-September. During July and August anaerobic water was present from Mile 4. 25 to Gult Island and at time, from Mile Six southwards . 2. The swnmer average dissolved oxygen load, 71690 1bs/day entering the Pool was the smallest since 1967. Owing, in part, to high upstream water temperatures and low flow. the average pollution load into the Pool was the smallest since 1966 . l .. The 1971 statistics appear to indicate that a reduotion ot about seventy thousand lbs/day of pollution load. entering the Pool. may be -necessary to maintain about two (2) ppm at Deer Rips Dam, during the period of very active Benthal in the Pool. 4. Water temperatures in the Pool were among the highest recorded for many years . The 1971 observed maximum was 27°0 (Bay 9). 5. Benthal deposits wer~ very active and floating sludge often covered large areas of the Pool , from Mile Six to Mile Two, and upstream from Turner Center Bridge. 6. Calculations indicate that bentha1 deposits, in the area between North Turner and Turner Center Bridges, contributed about 27000 Ibe of B.O . D.S per day, during the month of August. 7. Meohanica1 aeration at Gulf Island Dam, usually maintained a low aerobic condition in the upper fifteen feet of water entering the turbines. 8. At least three minor fish~kills occurred in the Pool; the dissolved oxygen in the area was too low for the fish to survive. 9. A preliminary survey of the Conductivity of the water in the Pool was made this summer . 10. Blue-green algae were observed on three days between Miles ' Two and Three. The patches were very small! few in number, and similar to those observed for many prev ous years. 24 TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT 1971 PART FOUR LEWISTON- AUBURN AREA Summary 1. Androscoggin river odor, in the local area, at tim s , was more intense than that observed in recent years. During the July fourth holiday week the odor was intense and very unpleasant. The public and local press were very critical. 2. River water passing through the canal system this summer was anaerobic on ten days and contained less than 0. 5 ppm dissolved oxygen on forty- six days . 3. River ·flows were lower than average, water and air temperatures were much higher than the long range averages. Local ~ress reports, editorials and "Letters to the Editor were very critical of both air and water poll ution. 5. Cross Checks by analysts from Oxford Paper Company and the Lewiston Group w re made once every two weeks on water sampled at Deer Rips Dam. 6, This report contains a tabulation of the average monthly river flows from 1965 to 1970 inclusive, (cf 1905 Report for the period 1927 to 1964) . 1 TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT PART ONE MILL POLLUTION LOADS 1971 Introduction. Biochemical Oxy~en Demands (B.O.D.5) and Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.) have been employed to determine the soluble pollution loads discharged to the Andros­ coggin River by, Brown Company, Oxford Paper Company and Interna­ tional Paper Company. Tests and analyses were made five days each week for the period June one to September twenty-four. The results and calculations are reoorded in tables and plots. The period chosen for detailed study was July five to August seven. Average water temperatures and river flows are recorded for each sector of the river. This part of the report contains the results of the B.O.D.5 tests and calculated pollution loads. Dissolved Oxygen and other determinations are the subject of Part Two .