Meat Department Floor Drain Discharge

Problem

Stormwater Utility staff was conducting routine water quality sampling when it discovered a discharge pipe behind a supermarket was delivering elevated levels of E. Coli to Potash Brook.

Meat department floor drain
Meat department floor drain
Green dye discharging into Potash Brook
Green dye poured into meat department floor drain discharging into Potash Brook

 

Description

Utility staff followed up with personnel at the supermarket and dye-tested floor drains throughout the store.  It was determined that a floor drain in the meat department was discharging directly to Potash Brook.  When deli staff cleaned counters and floors at the end of the day, the washwater would end up in the floor drain and be discharged directly to the stream. Contaminants from this discharge could include: soaps, debris, sediment, and cleaning detergents. The supermarket agreed to plug the floor drains and subsequent testing has shown reduced levels of E. Coli in the stream near this discharge pipe.

Benefit

Reduced amounts of E. Coli, soap, and detergents discharged to Potash Brook

Timeline

2007

Last Updated: 11/2009