Around 3 million gallons of partially treated sewage were released into the Housatonic River following a lightning strike-induced electrical outage at the Pittsfield (Massachusetts) Wastewater Treatment Plant, city officials reported.
The Pittsfield Department of Public Utilities advised residents to avoid contact with the river for 48 hours due to increased health risks from bacteria and other pollutants. Despite the incident, city drinking water, sourced from reservoirs in Washington and Hinsdale, remains safe to use and drink.Ricardo Morales, the city's Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities, reports that multiple alarms were triggered when power was restored, including one for the hypo disinfection
