By RUSS OLIVO

WOONSOCKET — The state Department of Environmental Management has fined the private companies that run the city-owned wastewater treatment plant and adjacent sludge incinerator $95,000 for dumping excessive amounts of chemical pollutants into the Blackstone River in 2005.

Veolia Water North America LLC and Synagro Woonsocket LLC will split the fine for discharging prohibited levels of phosphorous, ammonia, cyanide, nitrogen and other chemicals into the river, Administration/Public Works Director Michael A. Annarummo said in a memo to the City Council.
Annarummo said the fine was originally assessed against the city and Veolia in the amount of $175,000, but after  extensive talks with DEM Synagro was added as a party to the action, the city was eliminated and the total assessment was reduced to $95,000.
“During our review and discussions with the operator of the (wastewater) plant, Veolia, it became clear that the violations were attributable to a number of causes, not all of which were within the control of Veolia,” Annarummo said.
Some of the violations stemmed from storm-related flooding in October 2005 that caused an inflow of rainwater into the wastewater plant that was so voluminous it exceeded the Cumberland Hill Road facility's capacity to handle it properly.
Other violations were related to operations of Synagro's  “multiple hearth” incinerator technology “that were not effectively coordinated with Veolia to avoid impact to the wastewater treatment process,” Annarummo said.
Synagro has since upgraded its technology and new procedures are in place to better coordinate the operations of the two facilities and avoid further violations, according to the administration director.
The fines stem from a citation in which DEM initially documented seven violations of the state Water Pollution Act, the agency's water quality regulations and the terms of its wastewater discharge permit with the city, according to  documents supplied by DEM.
In a preliminary response to the violation notice, DEM said, Veolia claimed it was having a problem controlling the discharge of phosphorous into the Blackstone because it was unable to adjust its operations for the “highly variable phosphorous loadings” from a process Synagro was using to remove water from sludge.
Phosphorous, a component of detergents, lawn fertilizers and other compounds that commonly find their way into the wastewater stream, is a major cause of pollution in the Blackstone and other waterways. The substance promotes  the growth of algae, which depletes the water of oxygen and helps destroy the habitat for fish and other wildlife.
The City Council on Monday approved a resolution authorizing the city to take part in the so-called “penalty-sharing” agreement with Veolia and Synagro. Under the terms of the pact, the two companies must pay their fines to the city, which will then transfer the money to DEM.