Local officials say human error or a mechanical malfunction may have triggered last weekend's smelly black blob near the world-famous Niagara Falls.At a news conference, Niagara Falls (N.Y.) Water Board Chairman Dan O'Callaghan said more wastewater was released into the Niagara River than expected, WBFO reports.He said the release -- which is under a state investigation -- came during routine maintenance, but something went wrong."Carbon filters at the Niagara Falls wastewater plant are needed to flush periodically to keep the systems properly operating," he said Thursday, according to WBFO. "That's how the systems work properly and retained and maintained. ... Because of the carbon filters, the backwash is black."The discharge caused a furor because it came on a summer weekend -- the peak of tourist season -- and was clearly visible. Much of the black water engulfed the dock of the Maid of the Mist tour boats.James M. Perry, the board's administrative services director,told the Buffalo News, "The way it discolored the water was not a usual occurrence. Usually what happens, is they backflush to a certain level, and when the water starts to discolor, they stop pumping."At that point, the rest of the material trapped in the carbon beds is vacuumed out, Perry added.New York regulations discharges that adversely effect the color, order and natural conditions of the water."The violation of the state’s water quality standards are subject to fines, but this investigation is very much ongoing right now so it’s hard to say exactly what any enforcement actions could be levied against the water treatment board," Department of Environmental Conservation spokesperson Sean Mahar said earlier this week.N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered an investigation by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. O'Callaghan said the water board was meeting with the state agency on the issue. Copyright 2017 Great Lakes Today. To see more, visit Great Lakes Today.
Great Lakes Today was created to highlight issues affecting the lakes. The main partners are WBFO (Buffalo), ideastream (Cleveland) and WXXI (Rochester).Browse more coverage here. Major funding for Great Lakes Today is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American People. Additional funding comes from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
Malfunction, errors probed in Niagara Falls blob
