45,000 Gallons of Liquid Waste Spill Into Stamford Harbor

Officials say 45,000 gallons of mostly treated liquid waste spilled into Stamford Harbor's East Branch following an electrical malfunction.

The Stamford Advocate reports that the channel through which the effluent flows is supposed to shut itself off if the UV system malfunctions. In this case, Water Pollution Control Authority officials say a communication circuit that managed the stopgap failed.

Officials say the effluent did not receive ultraviolet light disinfection, but that the procedure is a safeguard for bacterial contamination.

WPCA workers found the spill on June 17 and were able to stop it within minutes.

Authorities say the last major spill was in May 2014.