Heavy rain leads to sewage discharges

CAPITAL REGION — Heavy rains on Monday lead to the discharge or raw or partially treated sewage into local rivers, including a 1.5-million-gallon discharge into the Mohawk River at Amsterdam.

The amount of sewage discharged would fill roughly 2 1/2 Olympic-sized swimming pools. U.S. Geological Survey showed the Mohawk rising rapidly due to the rain, which included nearly 6 inches that fell in the northern Catskills, according to the National Weather Service.

The New York Alert system reported the Amsterdam spill at 11:05 a.m., with the flow of partially or untreated sewage into the Mohawk River expected to continue over a 24-hour period, as heavy rain that collected in the city’s drainage system reaches the treatment plant.

A 10,000-gallon discharge into the Hudson River was also expected in Glens Falls, according to the alert system, and the cities of Troy and Rensselaer were also reporting anticipated sewage flowing into the Hudson, as their treatment plants dealt with heavy rain.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.