ISSUE IN BRIEF:

As a Waterkeeper organization, we focus on environmental justice as it relates to water pollution affecting our communities, especially underprivileged and underrepresented communities. The City of Harrisburg suffers from poverty with a median household income of roughly $32,000 and is largely comprised of communities of color, with over 75% of the population identifying as black, Hispanic, Latino or Asian. These residents and those who swim, fish, and otherwise recreate in these waters deserve a cleaner Susquehanna River free from raw sewage and unsafe bacteria levels that can cause illness or death. The people of Harrisburg are being disenfranchised by the responsible parties’ continued delay in reaching a final consent decree that would reduce combined sewer overflows as effectively and expeditiously as possible.

Combined sewer overflow (CSO) has been a prolonged issue in the City of Harrisburg. Discharges of sewage from Harrisburg’s antiquated combined sewer and stormwater system are still having a great impact on local water quality.

The levels of E. coli and fecal coliform in the River from Harrisburg’s antiquated sewer system are alarmingly high. We conduct bacterial testing each Summer along the Susquehanna River and Paxton Creek downstream of the City’s combined sewage outfalls. We collect water samples and analyze them at an independent laboratory.

From June 1 to July 30 of 2022 we found that 56 percent of the water samples had levels of E. coli bacteria that would make the water unsafe for swimming, kayaking, or other water contact recreation, including just downstream from the outfall leading from the State Capitol Complex and Governor’s Residence and at City Island Park Beach. These results violate both state and federal water quality standards. Those findings were worse than the 52 percent of samples unsafe for swimming in the summer of 2021, along with previous years 2020 & 2019. 720 sewer overflows occurred in Harrisburg in June, July and August of 2022. Sewage discharges occurred during 4 out of every 10 days within that time. 300% is the average increase in E. coli when samples were collected within two days of an upstream sewage spill versus times when no spills occurred.

In August 2023, the PA federal court accepted the modified partial consent decree that has new deadlines for plans to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act. By December 2024, Capital Region Water must file a new Long Term Control Plan that will go into effect to eliminate combined sewer overflows into the Susquehanna River.

Currently, we are reviewing a financial capability assessment and an alternatives analysis which ultimately drives the Long-Term Control Plan due in December. By May 30, 2024 our team will be providing comments regarding these analyses to the Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Protection Agency. Our input will be very important in making sure CRW is taking the correct actions to restore water quality.

We must make sure all resources are being used to make meaningful upgrades and create a plan that achieves the goals of the Clean Water Act around our state capital.

READ IT HERE: 8/25/23: FINAL CONSENT DECREE

PRESS RELEASE: 2/13/23: Feds Give Harrisburg PA a Deadline for Solution to Chronic Sewage Overflows