POLLUTION OF NASHUA RIVER AND
          RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
              Merrimack River Project
U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
               Public Health Service
  Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control
                    Region I
            Lawrence, Massachusetts
                    JULY 1965

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            POLLUTION OF NASHUA RIVER AND
           RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
            Herbert R. Pahren, Director
              Merrimack River Project
              Merrimack River Project
U. S. Department.of Health, Education, and Welfare
               Public Health Service
  Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control
                     Region I
              Lawrence, Massachusetts
                    JULY 1965

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                           TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                           Page No.






SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS	   ii




RECOMMENDATIONS 	 .....   iv




INTRODUCTION	,	    1



SOURCES OF POLLUTION	    2




EFFECTS OF POLLUTION ON STREAM AND WATER USES	  .    2




WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES	    5




RECOMMENDED LIMITS 'AND EFFECTS ON STREAM	  .    7




REFERENCES	   11




APPENDICES	   13

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                                  ii
                        SUMMARY AMD CONCLUSIONS








     The Nashua River Basin was included in the Conference in the matter




of Pollution of the Interstate and Massachusetts Intrastate Waters of the




Merrimack and Nashua Rivers held in Boston, Massachusetts on February 11,



196^.  This report discusses the degree of remedial action necessary to



secure abatement of the Nashua River pollution.




     Serious pollution exists in the North Nashua River from the




Weyerhaeuser Paper Company, Fitchburg, Massachusetts to the confluence



of the north and south branches of the Nashua River at Lancaster, Mass.



and in the Nashua River from Lancaster to the mouth of the Nashua River in




New Hampshire.  This pollution prevents the use of the stream for legitimate



water uses.



     .The principal causes of the pollution of the Nashua River are the



discharges from paper mills of suspended solids, organic matter causing



biochemical oxygen demand, and materials discoloring the stream.  By far



the largest loadings emanate from the three paper industries of Fitchburg,



Massachusetts.  Inadequate sewage treatment at Fitchburg, Massachusetts



and the discharges by non-paper industries of materials causing biochemical



oxygen demand also contribute to the problem.



     The Nashua River system has been classified for future highest use



by the state and interstate agencies.  However, the Class D classification



of the North Nashua River below the Weyerhaeuser Paper Cbmpany and the



Nashua River above the Harvard-Bolton town line does not permit the

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                                 ill



development of any recreational use of the river as desired "by citizens



of the area.



     The facilities to achieve the pollution abatement measures recommended



are not to be considered the ultimate requirement, but only a first step.



Future development of the Nashua River Basin may dictate higher degrees



of waste treatment at some future date.

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                                  iv
                            RECOMMENDATIONS








     In order to achieve the desired water quality in the Nashua River




system it is recommended that specific limits be placed on the pollu-




tional constituents discharged by each paper industry.  The following



are the limits recommended for the pollutional constituents added to the




receiving stream by each paper industry:




Weyerhaeuser Paper Company



     Suspended solids - 2,500 pounds per day




     Biochemical oxygen demand - 1,500 pounds per day



     Materials causing discoloration of the receiving stream shall be




     reduced sufficiently so that such discoloration is not unduly



     noticeable.



Fitchburg Paper Company




     Suspended solids - 1,300 pounds per day-



     Biochemical oxygen demand - 800 pounds per day



     Materials causing discoloration of the receiving stream shall be



     reduced sufficiently so that such discoloration is not unduly



     noticeable.



Falulah Paper Company



     Suspended solids - 900 pounds per day



     Biochemical oxygen demand - 1,100 pounds per day



     Materials causing discolorations of the receiving stream shall be




     reduced sufficiently so that such discoloration is not unduly



     noticeable.

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Mead Corporation




     Suspended solids - 450 pounds per day




     Biochemical oxygen demand - 450 pounds per day




     Materials causing discoloration of the receiving stream shall be




     reduced sufficiently so that such discoloration is not unduly




     noticeable.



Hollingsvorth & Vose Company




     Suspended solids - 250 pounds per day



     Biochemical oxygen demand - 600 pounds per day




     Materials causing discoloration of the receiving stream shall be




     reduced sufficiently so that such discoloration is not unduly



     noticeable.




Groton Leather Board Company



     Suspended solids - 250 pounds per day



     Biochemical oxygen demand - 200 pounds per day



     Materials causing discoloration of the receiving stream shall be



     reduced sufficiently so that such discoloration is not unduly



     noticeable.




St. Regis Paper Company



     Suspended solids - 800 pounds per day



     Biochemical oxygen demand - 900 pounds per day



     Materials causing discoloration of the receiving stream shall be



     reduced sufficiently so that such discoloration is. not unduly



     noticeable.

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                                  vi




     Non-paper waste discharges are also to "be treated to a satisfactory




degree prior to being discharged to the receiving stream.  Each of these




discharges with inadequate treatment will be discussed.




Fitchburg




     Facilities to provide secondary treatment of all dry-weather



municipal wastes are to be provided.



Pepperell




     Facilities are to be provided that will result in compliance with the



classification of the Nashua River.




Simonds Saw and Steel Company




     Wastes are to receive treatment commensurate with the degree of



treatment provided other wastes in the Fitchburg area.



Foster Grant Company




     Wastes are to receive treatment commensurate with the degree of .



treatment provided other wastes in the Leominster area.



     The discharge of any industrial waste into a municipal system: is



satisfactory if arrangements can be made and satisfactory treatment is



provided by the municipality.




     Preliminary plans for the pollution abatement program for the Nashua



River Valley are to be completed and submitted to the Massachusetts



Department of Public Health not later than September 1965.  Following the



review of the plans and adjustments if any, the design and installation



of facilities to reduce the waste loads to the Nashua River system are to



proceed forthwith.  Unless arrangements are made to have a municipality



assume responsibility for and is accepting the wastes from any of the

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                                 vii



industries listed, the facilities to achieve the recommendations for



each industry are to be completed and in operation no later than



July 1, 1968.  Construction of the necessary sewage treatment facilities



for Fitchburg and Pepperell is to "be under way prior to July 1, 1968.

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                   POLLUTION OF NASHUA RIVER AND
                  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
                           INTRODUCTION



     The Nashua River Basin was included in the Conference in the Matter

of Pollution of the Interstate and Massachusetts Intrastate Waters of the

Merrimack and Nashua Rivers held in Boston, Massachusetts on February 11,

1964.  The sources of Nashua River pollution and the effect on water

quality were described at the Conference; '  A sketch showing the Nashua

River is presented in Figure 1.

     Subsequent to the Conference, Secretary Celebrezze recommended that

a pollution abatement program commensurate with that on the Merrimack

River be established for Massachusetts communities and industries in the

Massachusetts portion of the Nashua River Valley with all preliminary plans

completed and submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

not later than September 1965.

     At the program review of the Merrimack River Project held February 25,

1965, a brief discussion was held on the degree of remedial action which is

necessary to secure abatement of the Nashua River pollution.  The review

committee suggested that the Merrimack River Project develop a brief

report outlining the wastes to be expected from each industry after the

wastes have been reduced with good housekeeping practices and treatment,

and the effect of residual loadings on the Nashua River.  This report

fulfills the request of the program review committee.

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_  NEW  HAMPSHIRE
      MASSACHUSETTS
                                                            N
                                         MERRIMACK RIVER PROJECT

                                           NASHUA RIVER
                                               SYSTEM
      CLINTON
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION. & WELFARE

           Public Health Service
 Region  I	Lawrence.Mass.

                            FIGURE I

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                         SOURCES OP POLLUTION







     Estimates have been made of the waste discharges to the Nashua River



and its tributaries'within Massachusetts.  These-estimates are  based  on
                                         x


surveys by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the National



Council for Stream Improvement and are summarized in Table I.



     Tremendous quantities of suspended solids and oxygen demanding



organic matter are discharged to the Nashua River.  Most of this is



discharged by the paper mills in the Basin.  For example, 95 percent  of



the suspended solids and 80.8 percent of the biochemical oxygen demand



discharged to the Nashua River in Massachusetts come from the paper mills.



By far the largest loadings emanate from the three paper industries of



Fitchburg, Massachusetts.



     Materials used in the paper making process also impart a white color



to the stream.  The North Nashua River from Weyerhaeuser Paper  Company at



Fitchburg, Massachusetts to its mouth and an extensive section  of the



Nashua River have a white appearance from these pollutants.





           EFFECTS OF POLLUTION ON STREAM AND WATER USES





     Data were collected during 1962 and 1963 in the Nashua River Basin



by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the National Council


                      (2)
for Stream Improvement} '  The dissolved oxygen on the days samples were



collected was approximately 80 percent of saturation in the North Nashua



River above Fitchburg, Massachusetts.  However, the dissolved oxygen  de-

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                            TABLE I

      Estimated Characteristics of Sewage and Industrial Wastes
Discharged to the Nashua River and Tributaries.within Massachusetts
Population Equivalents Discharged
Discharge
Gushing Academy
State Hospital (Gardner)
Weyerhaeuser Paper Co.

Fitchburg Paper Co.

Simonds Saw & Steel Co.
Falulah Paper Co.


Fitchburg
Mead Corporation

Foster Grant Co.
Leominster
Atlantic Union College
Clinton
Girls Industrial School
Ayer
Hollingsworth & Vose Co.
Groton Leatherboard Co.
Grot on School
St. Regis Paper Co.
Pepper ell
TOTAL
Treatment and/or
Waste Reduction Measures
Secondary with Cl?
Secondary with Clp
Save-alls, wastes recirculated,
starch substitution, settling
Save-alls, wastes recirculated
retention aids
None
Wastes recirculated, chemical
precipitation, vacuum filtration
of sludge
Inadequate secondary
Starch substitution, wastes
recirculated
None
Secondary
Partly primary, partly secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
Settling, wastes recirculated
Settling, wastes recirculated
Secondary
Save-alls, wastes recirculated
None

Bacterial

Number % Total
3
16

- -

-
.. -


-
18,900

-
-
2,700
210
1,300
15
375
-
-
8
-
200
23,727
0.01
0.07

-

_
-


-
79-66

_
_
11.38
0.89
5.^8
0.06
1.58
-
-
0.03
-
0.8k
100.0
Suspended
Number . ^
^5
80

181*, 600

108,200
-


115,1*00
20,700

30,300
-
3,200
210
1,560
18
750
1,^70
5,880
10
61*, 700
200
537,323
Solids
& Total
0.01
0.02

3^.36

20.11*



21.1*7
3.85

5.61*
-
0.60
o.ok
0.29
-
O.ll*
0.27
1.09
-
12.. Ok
0.0k
10O.O
Oxygen
Number
30
80

39,650
-•
37,060
5,800


27,9^0
19,500

5,700
2,500
2,ll*0
280
l;0l*0
18
500
6,650
2,120
10
16,200
200
167,^18
Demand
% Total
0.02
0.05

23.68

22. Ik
3.k6


16.69
11.61*

3.^0
1.1*9
1.28
0.17
0.62
0.01
0.30
3.97
1.27
0.01
9.68
0.12
100.0

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                                   3



creased rapidly between Fitchburg and Leominster to as low as 20 percent




of saturation.  Reaeration from rapids increased the dissolved oxygen in




some reaches but was inadequate to prevent excessive depletion.  The Nashua




River below the Worth Nashua River confluence was also in very poor con-




dition.  Throughout most of its length in Massachusetts, the dissolved




oxygen was less than 50 percent of saturation and at times was at or near



zero for -considerable distances.  Limited sampling by the Merrimack River




Project in 196^ and June 1965 showed zero dissolved oxygen at times in the



Nashua River in Massachusetts and in New Hampshire.



     Intense algal blooms have been observed in the Nashua River in




Pepperell, Massachusetts and in New Hampshire.  Dissolved oxygen data



obtained near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire state line indicate typical




effects of the algae where oxygen is produced by these plants during the



daylight but not at night.  The diurnal fluctuation resuits "in ranges of



oxygen from supersaturation to zero.



     During the period July lH-2^, 1963 countless thousands of non-game



fish were killed in the Nashua River near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire




state line.  The area affected covered 15 to 20 miles of stream.  Observers



attributed the kill to depletion of dissolved oxygen.



     Suspended solids are also a problem in the Nashua River.  Paper



fibers can be seen along the banks of the stream, deposited there during



higher flows.  The stream passes through a number of ponds and impound-



ments, resulting in settling of the suspended matter.  The solids decompose



on the bottom, and in many cases the decomposition gases buoy up the sludge




and the black sludge floats on the stream surface causing very unsightly



conditions.

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     A "bottom sample was taken in the Nashua River canal at the Route 3



by-pass bridge in August l$6k.  During low flows all of the river is



diverted into the canal.  The bottom consisted mostly of organic sludge



and contained 8,210 biological organisms per square meter.   Of these,



99-2 percent were sludge worms, midge fly larvae, and midge fly pupae—



organisms which are tolerant to pollution.  No pollution sensitive



organisms were found.



     Inorganic materials used to impart a white color to the paper



products are contained in the discharges to the stream, resulting in an



intensely colored stream for many miles.  Much of the coloring material



is in suspended form and forms part of the stream turbidity.



     Bacteriological analyses were made on samples from the Nashua River



Basin during June 15-17, 19&5-  The total coliform densities are shown in



Figure 2.  As may be noted, the coliform values are relatively high in the



Fitchburg-Leominster section of the North Nashua River, indicating sewerage



system deficiencies or operational problems.



     Nashua River water is used for industrial process water by several of



the paper industries.  Where necessary to precondition the  water, facilities



ranging from coarse sand filters to ion exchange processes  are used.



     Because of the polluted conditions in the Nashua River, it is not



used for fishing.  This river is populated by various types of coarse fish



in the New Hampshire section.  Based on the character of the stream, it



appears that improvement of its water quality would make recreational



fishing possible.

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0,000,000
1,000,000
  loopoo
 o
 o
  10,000
 z
 oc
 o
 a.
 o  1,000
 o
 u
 o
 
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                       WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES








     Water quality has been a problem in the Nashua River for many




decades.  In fact this river has been cited in the report of the New



England New York Inter-Agency Committee as being "outstanding for its




absolute worthlessness as a fish stream" because of the pollution.



     However, citizens living downstream from the sources of pollution



wish to improve the water quality in the Nashua River Basin.  At a public




meeting held September 17, 1964 at Lancaster, Massachusetts, the Nashua



River Study Committee pointed out that the people of the area wish to use



the Nashua River for recreational purposes.  A communication, shown in the




Appendix, expresses the conclusions of the group and the officials of the



town of Lancaster, Massachusetts concerning the water quality objectives



for.the Nashua River.



     At a meeting held November 12, 196^, in-Nashua, New Hampshire, the



Technical Subcommittee of the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control



Commission discussed the existing classification of the Nashua River.  It



was agreed that the North Nashua River was Class E, in nuisance condition,



from the< Weyerhaeuser Paper Company discharge to the confluence of the



North and South Branches of the Nashua River.  It was further agreed that



the Nashua River was Class E from this confluence to Hollis Depot, New



Hampshire, and Class D from Hollis Depot to the mouth of the Nashua River.



A chart showing the classification system is presented in the Appendix.

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                                   6
     On April 27, 1965 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,  the  New Hampshire
Water Pollution Commission and the New England Interstate  Water Pollution
Control Commission classified the Nashua River for future  highest use.  The
North Nashua River was classified "B" above Weyerhaeuser Paper Company  at
Fitchburg and Class D from Weyerhaeuser to the confluence  of the  North  and
South Branches of the Nashua River.  The Nashua River was  classified "D"
from the confluence of the North and South Branches to the Harvard-Bolton
town line, 3.9 miles below the confluence.  This river was then classified
"G" with the dissolved oxygen modified to four parts per million  from the
Harvard-Bolton line to Unkety Brook, 0.7 miles upstream of the Massachusetts-
New Hampshire state line.  The Nashua River was classified "C", without
modification, from Unkety Brook to its mouth.
     With Class D waters only a minimum amount of dissolved oxygen would  be
required, so as to avoid septic conditions. According to  the  New England
Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission  classification system  the
Class D section of the river would not be suitable for recreational  use but
would be suitable for transportation of sewage and industrial  wastes without
nuisance.  Therefore if the stream is not better than Class D, the part of
the Nashua River system thus classificed would be unsuitable for  the uses
desired by the Town of Lancaster.
     In considering the future condition and uses of a stream, attention
should be given not only to present population and industrial  discharges,
but also to future population, expansion of industrial capacity,  and the
possible introduction of new industries into the area.  Water  quality
should be set sufficiently high and waste loadings must be sufficiently

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                                   7



low so that economic growth is not hindered and the maximum beneficial use




is made of the stream.




     It would not be proper to condemn a portion of the Nashua River




system to a status where it is only "suitable for transportation of




sewage and industrial wastes without nuisance."  This is especially true




since means are presently available to substantially correct the pollution



problem.  Waste discharges should therefore be controlled to allow economic




growth of the area and some recreational use of the river.  To achieve these



objectives the principal controls should be placed on discharges of sus-



pended solids, materials causing biochemical oxygen demand, color and




bacteria.



               RECOMMENDED LIMITS AND EFFECTS ON STREAM






     The available data from each Nashua River paper industry were analyzed




from the standpoint of the type of product and mill capacity.  Data were



then obtained on the expected discharge per unit of production from typical



mills throughout the country producing the same type of product. '^'^ '



These unit waste loads, without treatment, from properly designed and



operated paper mills were applied to each paper mill in the Nashua River



Basin producing the same type of product.  Then considering the treatability



of the resulting waste loads and the production capafcity, limits of sus-



pended solids and biochemical oxygen demand discharged to the Nashua River-




were derived for each paper industry.  A summary of these recommended



limits, along with the actual waste loads during 1962 and 1963 as measured



by the National Council for Stream Improvement   are presented in Table II.

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                                                    TABLE II

                                        Summary of Paper Industry Waste Loads
                                       and Recommended Limits Added to Stream
Paper Industry
Weyerhaeuser Company
Fitchburg Paper Co.
Falulah Paper Co.
Mead Corporation
Hollingsworth & Vose Co.
Groton Leather Board Co.
Principal
Product
Book
Bond and
Specialty
Board
Board
Specialty
Stereotype
Dry Mats
Capacity
Tons
Per Day
375
200
90
1*3
1*5
30*
Suspended Solids, PPD Added
1962
26,lf72
16,11*0
26,103
4,205
1,750
886
1963
31,376
18, 400
19,600
5,150
250
1,000
HEW Limit
2,500
1,300
900
1*50
250
250
BOD, PPD Added
1962
13,9^5
4,550
5,1*60
1,960
1,1*60
31*0
1963
6,71*1
6,300
1*,750
975
1,130
360
HEW Limit
1,500
800
1,100
1*50
600
200
St. Regis Paper Co.
Kraft
115
16,600  11,000
800
3,500
2,750
900
^Estimated

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                                   8




     In arriving at these limits, it wad considered essential that the




mills reduce their waste load to the maximum extent by means of physical




processes.  A combination of settling, flotation and coagulation is needed




in some cases.



     Substantially all of the suspended solids must be removed from the




wastes discharged if sludge deposits are to be prevented in the downstream



ponds.  Not only settleable solids should be removed but other suspended




matter as well.



     Tests by the National Council for Stream Improvement   indicated that




a significant amount of biochemical oxygen demand would be removed from the



wastes of the Nashua River paper mills by plain sedimentation.  However,



this degree of BOD removal is still considered inadequate to .protect the




desired future uses of the Nashua River.  Residual BOD would be reduced by



the bacteria of the receiving stream but in doing so the bacteria produce



0.5 pounds of living suspended matter that can settle and produce sludge for




each pound of BOD removed. '  The biological sludge produced may cause



nuisance conditions during warm weather.  Removal of additional BOD by



flotation, coagulation, or other processes would provide a more suitable



effluent and will result in better stream conditions.



     The appearance of a stream does not necessarily indicate its quality,



but if no effort has been exerted to remove the most obvious pollution, the



public frequently assumes that little effort has been expended to remove



the other forms.  Often it is easier to reduce the color of an effluent



than to erase erroneous: conceptions from the minds of observers.



     Most of the white color seen in the Nashua River system is caused  by

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                                   9



materials in suspended or colloidal form.  Therefore, it should not be




difficult to remove substantially all of the color at the same time the




suspended solids and BOD are reduced to desired levels.  It should be the

                       j

objective to reduce the materials causing color to such an extent that the




artificial color from the paper mills is not unduly noticeable in the




stream.



     Figure 3 shows the calculated.dissolved oxygen levels in the North




Nashua and Nashua Rivers under several assumed conditions.  It also presents



the minimum dissolved oxygen levels required by the classification.  For the


                                                        f

Class D section where the dissolved oxygen must be greater than zero, a




value of 1.0 mg/1 was selected for convenience of presentation.



     For the calculations, the low-seven-day average flow occurring once in




five years was used.  The curve showing the conditions with present discharges



neglects the effects of sludge deposits as there are insufficient data avail-



able to properly take the deposits into accounts.  In spite of this, the



calculated dissolved oxygen would be zero for many miles of stream at the



flow assumed.




     The curve showing the dissolved oxygen in the stream if the industrial



discharges are limited to the loads recommended at present production



levels, indicates that the oxygen would be adequate.  When the recommended



limit of .BOD per unit of production is used with the production expected



by 1985> a minimum dissolved oxygen of about 3-7 mg/1 results.  The in-



creased production for future years is based on the U. S. Forest Service


                                                      (7)
projected paper and board production for Massachusetts. '  It was assumed




that the Nashua River paper mills would increase their production in the

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	 MINIMUM DISSOLVED OXYGEN
J^ OF CLASSIFICATION
(2 	 CONDITION WITH MAXIMUM IN-PLANT
;-» BOD REDUCTION PLUS 85 PERCENT
1 ADDITIONAL
\ 	 CONDITION WITH RECOMMENDED BOD


^^



^o
a1*****"^ \
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30 20
NASHUA RIVER



LIMIT WITH PRESENT PRODUCTION

	 CONDITION WITH RECOMMENDED BOD
LIMIT WITH 1985 PRODUCTION
— o— CALCULATED PRESENT CONDITIONS







s





MERRIMACK RIVER PROJECT
DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONDITIONS
10 NORTH NASHUA & NASHUA RIVERS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION JL WELFARE
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
Region 1 Lawrence, Maes.
FIGURE 3

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                                  10




same proportion as the projected increase for the State.  Thus with the




recommended limits, the Nashua River would be satisfactory from the stand-




point of dissolved oxygen for almost the next 20 years.  At that time it




may be necessary to reconsider the degree of waste, treatment needed.




     Figure 3 also shows conditions of the Nashua River if the paper



industries effected maximum in-plant BOD reduction and, in addition,



reduced the resulting BOD load by 85 percent.  This curve assumes pro-




duction will be at present levels and shows the maximum possible dissolved



oxygen in the stream.  These extreme waste reductions are not recommended




because the future stream uses would not require the dissolved oxygen




levels to be as high as those resulting from this degree of treatment and



the additional cost would be high.  However, the limits recommended in




Table II, although difficult to attain in several instances, would result



in very satisfactory stream quality at present, with assimilative capacity



remaining for future economic development.

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                                  11
                              REFERENCES








1.   Conference in the Matter of Pollution of the  Interstate  and




     Massachusetts Intrastate Waters of the Merrimack and Nashua




     Rivers, Boston, Massachusetts,  February 11,  196^, U.  S. De-



     partment of Health, Education, and Welfare, Washington 25, D. C,






2.   Final Report - Nashua River Survey, submitted by The National



     Council for Stream Improvement, New York, New York,  January  15,
3-   The Resources of the New England - New York Region, Part Two,




     Chapter XV, Merrimack River Basin, New England, New York, Inter-



     Agency Committee,
U.   Pulp, Paper and Paperboard,  Harry W.  Gelm,  contained  in' ACS



     Monograph No. 118, Industrial Wastes  -  Their Disposal and Treat-



     ment , Reinhold Publi shing Corporation,  1953 •






5.   White Water Wastes from Paper and Paperboard Mills, New England



     Interstate Water .Pollution Control Commission, Boston 8, Mass.,



     December 1963.






6.   Unpublished data on wastes from paper and paperboard  mills in




     files of Merrimack River .Project,  U.  S. Department .of Health,



     Education, and Welfare, Lawrence,  Massachusetts.

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                                  12




7.   New England Economic Survey,  State Projections, Projected




     Employment and Production in  the Forest Industries in New




     England by States,  Prepared by the Northeast Forest Experiment




     Station, U. S.  Forest Service, July

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    13
APPENDICES

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TOWN OF LANCASTER, MASSACHUSETTS '
NASHUA RIVER  STUDY COMMITTEE
                                                      1 Buttonwood Lane
                                                      Lancaster, Mass.
                                                      April 1,  1965
  Mr. Herbert R. Pahren, Director
  Merrimack River Project,DWSPC
  U. S.  Public Health Service
  37 Shattuck Street
  Lawrence, Massachusetts 018^3

  Dear Mr.  Pahren:

  We have received  a letter from Mrs. Mildred B.  Smith, Sanitary Engineer of the
  Water Supply and  Pollution Control Branch  of  the Department  of Health, Edu-
  cation and Welfare,  in which  she has  stated that the department is interested
  in the statement  of  the desired objectives for  water quality of the Nashua
  River.

  After  meeting with the Board  of Selectmen  of  Lancaster, and  in consequence of
  earlier meetings  with  other officials of the  Department of Public Health, our
  committee has concluded that  our ultimate  objective would be Classification B
  for the Nashua River.   Our efforts along with proposed combined efforts of
  other  towns in the Nashua River Basin will be toward that objective.  It may
  interest  you to know at this  time that our committee is presently attempting
  to organize on a  regional basis, similar committees in all towns in the Nashua
  River  Basin with  a view toward disseminating  information regarding pollution
  control and steps to be taken on the  local level which will  be helpful in
  improving the condition of this River.

  We would  appreciate  being advised of  any new  developments along pollution
  control lines so  that we  may  alert interested parties through our proposed
  newspaper releases.

  Thanking  you for  any assistance you can provide us in this regard, I remain,

                                       Very truly yours,
                                      John E. Burgoyne
                                      Chairman
 JEBtcp

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                              HEW ENGLAND INTERSTATE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL COMMISSION
                            Classification and Standards of Quality for Interstate Waters
                                       (As Revised and Adopted October 1.  1959)	
                                 CLASS A
                                 CLASS B
                                 CLASS C
                                                                                                           CLASS D
                                                     Suitability for Use
                         Suitable for any water
                         use.  Character uni-
                         formly excellent.
                         Suitable for bathing
                         and recreation,  irri-
                         gation and agricultural
                         uses; good fish  habitat;
                         good aesthetic value.
                         Acceptable for public
                         water supply with
                         filtration and disin-
                         fection.
                           Suitable for recrea-
                           tional boating,
                           irrigation of crops
                           not used for con-
                           sumption without
                           cooking; habitat
                           for wildlife and
                           common food and
                           game fishes in-
                           digenous to the
                           region; industrial
                           cooling and most
                           industrial process
                           uses.
Suitable for trans-
portation of sewage
and industrial
wastes without -nui-
sance, and for
power, navigation
and certain in-
dustrial uses.
Standards of Quality
Dissolved oxygen
Oil and grease
Odor, scum, floating
solids, or debris
Sludge deposits
Color and turbidity
Phenols or other taste
•producing substances
Substances potentially
toxic
Free acids or alkalies
Radioactivity
Not less than 75% sat.
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
Not less than 75% sat. Not less than 5 p.p.m
No appreciable amount Not objectionable
None None
None None
Not objectionable Not objectionable
None None
Not in toxic con-
None centrations or
combinations
None None
. Present at all times
Not objectionable
Not objectionable
Not objectionable
Not objectionable '.

Not in toxic con- !
centrations or !
combinations i
Not in objectionable
amounts
Within limits approved by the appropriate State agency with consideration of possible adverse
effects in downstream waters from discharge of radioactive wastes; limits in a particular water-
shed to be resolved when necessary after consultation between States involved.
Coliform bacteria
i
* Within limits ap-
proved by State De-
partment of Health
for uses involved.
Bacterial content of
bathing waters shall
meet limits approved
by State Department of
Health and acceptability
will depend on sanitary
survey.	
* Sea waters used for the taking of market shellfish shall not have a median coliform content in excess of 70 per  100 ml.
SOTE:  Waters falling below these descriptions are considered as  unsatisfactory and as Class E.
       These standards do not apply to conditions brought about by natural causes.
  	For purpose of distinction as to use, waters used or proposed for public water supply shall be  so designated.	

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