REPORT ON POLLUTION OF
THE MERRIMACK RIVER
AND CERTAIN TRIBUTARIES -
part I - Summary, Conclusions
and Recommendations
MASS.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
Northeast Region
Boston, Massachusetts
December, 1968
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REPORT ON POLLUTION OF
THE MERRIMACK RIVER
AND CERTAIN TRIBUTARIES
PART I — SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
U. S. Department of the Interior
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
Northeast Region
Boston, Massachusetts
December, 1968
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
SUMMARY ii
INTRODUCTION 1
STREAM STUDIES — PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BACTERIOLOGICAL ..... 3
Study Area 3
Pollution Sources ^
Water Uses 7
Effects of Pollution on Water Quality ...... 8
STREAM STUDIES — BIOLOGICAL . . . lU
PILOT PLANT STUDY OF BENTHAL OXYGEN DEMAND l6
NASHUA RIVER -17
PEMIGEWASSET RIVER 20
RECOMMENDATIONS 22
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SUMMARY
The Merrimack River is polluted by the discharge of raw and partially
treated municipal and industrial vastes for most of its length in New
Hampshire and Massachusetts. Every day more than 120 million gallons of
waste water flow into the Merrimack River alone, polluting it physically,
bacteriologically, and chemically. This polluted condition, which has
been recognized since the turn of the century, will become progressively
worse unless effective abatement action is taken immediately.
The major sources of raw or inadequately treated municipal waste
discharged to the Merrimack River Basin are:
New Hampshire
Allenstown
Bristol
Concord
Franklin
Massachusetts
Amesbury
Andover
Clinton
Dracut
Fitchburg
Hooksett
Lincoln
Manchester
Milford
Grove land
Haverhill
Lawrence
Leominster
Nashua
Pembroke
Plymouth
Wilton
Lowell
Methuen
Newburyport
North Andover
Salisbury
The major sources of industrial waste discharged to the Merrimack
River Basin are:
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Nev Hampshire
Ashland Paper Mills, Ashland
Foster Grant Co., Manchester
Franconia Paper Corp., Lincoln
Granite State Packing Co., Manchester
Granite State Tanning Co., Nashua
Merrimack Leather Co., Merrimack
Massachusetts
Continental Can Co., Haverhill
Falulah Paper Co., Fitchburg
Fitchburg Paper Co., Fitchburg
Foster Grant Co., Leomlnster
Gilet Wool Scouring Corp., Chelmsford
Lawrence Wool Scouring Co., Lawrence
Lowell Rendering Co., Billerica
Mead Corp., Lawrence
Oxford Paper Co., Lawrence
Southwell Combing Co., Chelmsford
St. Regis Paper Co., Pepperell
Weyerhaeuser Paper Co., Fitchburg
Suspended solids in waste discharges in the study area were equiva-
lent to those in the raw sewage of 1,653,000 persons, with 72 per cent
originating in Massachusetts. These materials cause deep sludge deposits
which deplete the stream oxygen supply, produce offensive odors, reduce
or eliminate aquatic life which serves as food for fish, and make once
attractive waters appear murky.
Coliform bacteria equivalent to those in the raw sewage from
^16,000 persons are discharged to the Merrimack River and its tributaries
at the present time, with 3^ per cent originating in New Hampshire and
66 per cent originating in Massachusetts. Sewage effluents receiving no
treatment account for 92 per cent of the total coliform bacteria in the
stream.
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Nashua and Hudson, Nev Hampshire, contributed over 98 per cent of
the coliform bacteria at the Hew Hampshire-Massachusetts state line dur-
ing warm low-flow periods. However, with colder water temperatures and
increased flows in the autumn, the Nashua-Hudson portion at the state
line was reduced to 50 per cent; Manchester, New Hampshire, was responsi-
ble for 25 per cent of the total; and other upstream communities were
responsible for 25 per cent. Of the bacteria originating from upstream
communities and reaching Newburyport, Massachusetts, 51»^ per cent ema-
nated from the Lawrence region, 17.1 per cent from the Haverhill region,
31.4 per cent from the Amesbury area, and 0.1 per cent from the remaining
upstream communities.
Coliform densities as high as 9,200,000 per 100 milliliters (ml)
were found in the Merrimack River. This value, found below Lawrence, is
1,850 times the recommended maximum value of 5,000 per 100 ml. (One
hundred milliliters of water is slightly less than one-half cup.) This
excessive bacterial pollution presents a health hazard to all who come
in contact with the water.
Disease-producing bacteria of the genus Salmonella were consistently
recovered from the Merrimack in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, in-
dicating that ingestion of any water from the Merrimack River before it
is treated or of produce from truck farms using untreated river water for
irrigation is a definite health hazard. Salmonellae were isolated during
every test made at the Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts, water intakes.
Typhoid fever, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea are a few of the many dis-
eases of man caused by these bacteria.
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Sewage and industrial wastes presently discharged to the basin have
an estimated biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) equivalent to that in the
untreated sewage of 1,422,000 persons, of vhich 693,000 population equiva-
lents are discharged in Nev Hampshire. BOD is a measure of the ability
of a waste to deplete the dissolved oxygen resource of a stream.
Serious depletion of the dissolved oxygen content of the Merrimack
River occurred during the study period. For the months of June, July,
August, and September of 1964 and 1965, minimum dissolved oxygen from
Manchester to Newbuzyport was less than 2.0 ppm at every station; zero
values were found below Haverhill. At no point upstream of Manchester
was the minimum value in excess of 5.0 ppm. A value of 5.0 ppm for at
least 16 hours a day is one requirement of the Hew England Interstate .
Water Pollution Control Commission for Class C waters, C being the class
of water considered acceptable for recreational boating, fish habitat,
and industrial water supply but not for swimming or drinking under normal
conditions. Using BOD as an indicator, the most polluted reach of the
Merrimack River was between Lawrence and Haverhill, Massachusetts.
BOD crossing the state line from New Hampshire into Massachusetts
amounted to 28,800 pounds per day. This is equivalent to the BOD of raw
sewage from 169,000 persons. As a result of the reduction in dissolved
oxygen, fish, fish food organisms, and other desirable forms of aquatic
life are destroyed. In addition, when the dissolved oxygen content of
the river is sufficiently low, obnoxious gases are given off by the
stream, forcing unsightly clumps of sludge to rise to the surface.
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Biological stream studio shoved that, vith few exceptions, the
entire length of the Merrimack River is grossly polluted from Franklin,
New Hampshire, to its nouth at Nevburyport, Massachusetts. Those desir-
able benthic organisms sensitive in their response to pollution were
absent in the lover 57 miles of the Merrimack River. In only four areas
did the river recover enough from its despoiled condition to permit a
small number of sensitive organisms to exist before additional vastes
reduced the quality of the river.
Serious pollution exists in the North Nashua River from the outfall
of the Weyerhaeuser Paper Company, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to the con-
fluence of the north and south branches of the Nashua River at Lancaster,
Massachusetts; in the Nashua River from Lancaster to the mouth of the
Nashua River in New Hampshire; in the Squannacook River belov the dam at
Vose Village; and in the South Branch Nashua River belov Clinton, Massa-
chusetts. This pollution affects present and potential water uses.
Discharges from paper mills result in suspended solids, organic
matter causing biochemical oxygen ilnminfl, and materials causing apparent
color in the stream. By far the largest loadings emanate from the three
paper industries of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Excessive bacterial densi-
ties, suspended solids, nutrients, and organic matter are the result of
Inadequate sevage treatment, particularly at Fitchburg and Leominster,
Massachusetts.
Discharges of suspended solids create a severe problem in the Nashua
River. Suspended solids discharged to the Nashua River Basin are equiva-
lent to those in the raw sevage from 556,000 persons. Of these, nearly
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92 per cent come from the paper mills. It Is estimated that 17 million
cubic feet of sediments have accumulated in Pepperell Pond alone.
Bacteria equivalent to those in the raw sewage of approximately
?U,ooo persons,are discharged to the Nashua River Basin at present.
Fitchburg and Leominster, Massachusetts, contribute 90 per cent of the
total. The coliform bacteria in the North Nashua River were as high as
680 times the recommended maximum value of 5,000 per 100 ml for this
stream. Disease-causing bacteria were isolated in both the North Nashua
and the South Branch Nashua Rivers.
Sewage and industrial wastes presently discharged to the Nashua
River Basin have an estimated biochemical oxygen demand population equiva-
lent of 178,000, of which the paper industries contribute 76 per cent of
the total. As a result of the reduction in dissolved oxygen, fish, fish
food organisms, and other desirable aquatic life are destroyed, and ob-
noxious odors are given off by the stream.
Nutrients discharged to the Nashua River Basin result in excessive
densities of algae and other aquatic plants, creating a nuisance. These
plants may die and decompose, causing unsightly conditions, obnoxious
odors, and depletion of dissolved oxygen.
Serious pollution exists in the Pemigewasset River from the conflu-
ence with the East Branch Pemigewasset River in Lincoln, New Hampshire,
to the confluence of the Winnipesaukee River in Franklin, New Hampshire,
due to the discharge of sewage and industrial wastes in the basin.
Suspended solids discharged to the Pemigewasset River watershed are
equivalent to those in the raw sewage of 287,500 persons, of which over
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98 per cent emanate froa industrial plant*. These solids result in
sludge deposits, especially in the impoundment behind Ayers island Dam.
Hydrogen sulflde, resulting from sludge deposits behind this dam, caused
thousands of dollars of damage to houses in Bristol, Nev Hampshire, on
August 18; 1965, and on August 23, 1966, by discoloring the paint on the
houses.
Sulfite waste liquor, released to the Pemigevasset River by the
Franconia Paper Corporation, not only creates an enormous oxygen demand
but also contains lignin sulfonates which persist as the waters flow into
Massachusetts. As a result of the sulfite waste liquor, the river is
discolored, adding to the water treatment costs at Lowell and Lawrence,
Massachusetts.
Restricted recreational use of the Merrimack and its tributaries due
to their polluted conditions alone caused an estimated loss of $21/300,000
in 196^. There is presently a very limited amount of fishing in the basin,
but the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has expressed interest in reintre-
ducing salmon and other anadromous fish to the streams once the pollution
has been abated.
In 1964 the value of the soft-shell clan harvest amounted to only
$1^,000 of a potential $1,000,000. Discharges to the Merrimack River
estuary from existing sewage treatment plants significantly contribute
to the bacterial densities near the shellfish growing areas.
An even greater loss can be attributed to decreased property values
and the resulting decrease in the tax revenues caused by the polluted
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condition of the Merrimack River and its tributaries. In 1964 these
losses to communities in the basin amounted to about $l4,600,000.
It is estimated that between $37,000,000 and $70,000,000 is being
lost annually as a result of pollution in the Merrimack River Basin.
Although the Merrimack River is now used for industrial process
water, cooling water, and for hydroelectric power, sand filters and other
treatment methods are often employed at the industry's expense to pre-
condition the water before it can be used. An increase in industrial
development could be expected once the basin communities can offer im-
proved water quality.
The Merrimack is also used as a municipal water supply for Lowell
and Lawrence, Massachusetts. As the population in the basin increases,
more and more communities will be turning to the Merrimack to meet their
water needs because it is the only water supply of sufficient quantity to
meet the demand. Eight basin communities have already expressed interest
in the use of the river. Well-designed and efficient sewage treatment
plants will be necessary to ensure adequate water quality.
Sewage and industrial wastes continue to be discharged to the
Merrimack River and its tributaries in New Hampshire, causing pollution
which endangers the health or welfare of persons in Massachusetts; the
sewage and industrial wastes discharged to the Merrimack River and its
tributaries in Massachusetts cause pollution which endangers the health
or welfare of persons in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Therefore,
this pollution is subject to abatement under the provisions of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U. S. C. U66 et seq.).
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INTRODUCTION
In accordance vith the written request to the Secretary of Health,
Education, and Welfare from the Honorable Endicott Peabody, former
Governor of Massachusetts, dated February 12, 1963, and on the basis of
reports, surveys, or studies, the Secretary of Health, Education, and
Welfare, on September 23, 1963, called a conference under the provisions
of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U. S. C. 466 et seq.) in
the matter of pollution of the interstate waters of the Merrimack and
Nashua Rivers and their tributaries (Massachusetts-New Hampshire) and the
intrastate portions of those waters within the State of Massachusetts.
The conference was held February 11, 1964, in Faneuil Hall, Boston,
Massachusetts. Pollution sources and the effects of their discharges
on water quality were described at the conference.
In February, 1964, the U. S. Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare established the Merrimack River Project to study the Merrimack
River Basin. The basic objectives were twofold:
1. Evaluation of the adequacy of the pollution abatement
measures proposed for the Merrimack River within Massa-
chusetts .
2. Development of adequate data on the water quality of the
Merrimack River and its tributaries. Waters in both New
Hampshire and Massachusetts were to be studied.
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Headquarters for the Project nwre established at the Laurence Experi-
ment Station of the Coianonvealth of Massachusetts, Lavrence, Massachusetts.
The Project became operational July 1, 1964.
During the first ytmr of oftrmtlom, efforts were concentrated primarily
in the Massachusetts section of the Merrlnack River. Second year studies
vere mainly of the Hev Hampshire sections involving suspected interstate
pollution and of the lashua River.
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STREAM STUDIES — PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AM) BACTERIOLOGICAL
Study Area
The Merrimack River Basin lies in central Nev England and extends
from the White Mountains in Nev Hampshire southward into northeastern
Massachusetts. Through Nev Hampshire, the river flovs in a southerly
direction. Upon entering Massachusetts, the river flovs easterly for
I* 5 miles, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Nevburyport, Massachusetts.
The lover 22 miles of the river are tidal. Lands drained lay the Merri-
mack River consist of 5,010 square miles, of which 3,800 square miles are
in Nev Hampshire, vhile 1,210 square miles lie in Massachusetts.
The I960 population vithin the Merrimack River Basin is estimated to
be 1,072,000, of vhich 7^7,000 are in Massachusetts and 325,000 are in
Nev Hampshire. For the most part, the population centers are located
along the Merrimack River.
Precipitation is distributed fairly uniformly throughout the year,
and frequent but generally short periods of heavy precipitation are
common in the basin. The southeastern part of the watershed, because of
its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, does not undergo the extremes of
temperature and depth of snov found in Nev Hampshire at the higher eleva-
tions .
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Pollution Sources
The Merrimack River Is polluted by the discharge of raw and partially
treated municipal and industrial wastes for most of its length in Nev
Hampshire and Massachusetts. Every day more than 120 million gallons of
waste water flow into the Merrtmack River. The river is polluted bacterio-
logically, physically, and chemically. This polluted condition, which has
been recognized since the turn of the century, will become progressively
worse unless effective abatement action is taken Immediately.
Coliform bacteria, equivalent to those in the rav sewage from
^16,000 persons, are discharged to the Merriaack River Basin. Thirty -
four per cent of the bacteria are discharged In Hew Hampshire; the
remaining 66 per cent In Massachusetts. These bacteria are discharged by
the New Hampshire communities of Alienstown, Boscaven, Concord, Kerry,
Franklin, Hooksett, Hudson, Manchester, Merriaack, Milford, Nashua,
Pembroke, Salem, and Wilton and by the Massachusetts communities of
Amesbury, Andover, Ayer, Blllerica, Clinton, Concord, Dracut, Fitchburg,
Groveland, Haverhill, Lancaster, Lawrence, Leomlnster, Lowell,
Marlborough, Maynard, Methuen, Newburyport, North Andover, Pepperell,
Salisbury, Shirley, and Westborough.
The suspended solids In the discharges to the study area are equiva-
lent to those in the raw sewage of 1,653,000 persons. Seventy-two per
cent of those solids originate in Massachusetts. Major sources of
suspended solids in New Hampshire are the communities of Concord,
Franklin, Manchester, Milford, and Nashua and the industries of Brezner
Tanning Corp., Boscawen; Franconia Paper Corp., Lincoln; Granite State
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Packing Co., Manchester; Granite State Tanning Co., Nashua; Hillsborough
Mills, Wilton; Merrimack Leather Co., Merrimack; and Seal Tanning Co.,
Manchester. Massachusetts sources are the communities of Amesbury,
Andover, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Methuen,
Newburyport, and North Andover and the industries of Amesbury Fibre Corp.,
Amesbury; Commodore Foods, Inc., Lowell; Continental Can Co., Haverhill;
Falulah Paper Co., Fitchburg; Foster Grant Co., Leominster; Fitchburg
Paper Co., Fitchburg; Gilet Wool Scouring Corp., Chelmsford; Groton
Leatherboard Co., Groton; H. E. Fletcher Co., Chelmsford; Hoyt & Worthen
Tanning Corp., Haverhill; Jean-Allen Products Co., Lowell; Lawrence Wool
Scouring Co., Lawrence; Lowell Rendering Co., Billerica; Mead Corp.,
Lawrence; Merrimack Paper Co., Lawrence; Oxford Paper Co., Lawrence;
Southwell Combing Co., Chelmsford; St. Regis Paper Co., Pepperell; and
Weyerhaeuser Paper Co., Fitchburg.
Sewage and industrial wastes presently discharged in the basin have
an estimated biochemical oxygen demand equivalent to that in the untreated
sewage of 1,422,000 persons, of which 693,000 population equivalents are
discharged in New Hampshire. The following communities and industries
are the major contributors of this BOD to the study area: In New Hamp-
shire, the communities are Concord, Franklin, Manchester, Milford, and
Nashua, and the industries are Foster Grant Co., Manchester; Franconia
Paper Corp., Lincoln; Granite State Tanning Co., Nashua; Hillsborough
Mills, Wilton; Merrimack Leather Co., Merrimack; MKM Knitting Mills, Inc.,
Manchester; M. Schwer Realty Co., Manchester; Seal Tanning Co., Manchester;
Stephen Spinning Co., Manchester; and Waumbec Mills, Inc., Manchester.
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In Massachusetts, the communities are Amesbury, Andover, Fitchburg,
Haverhill, Lawrence, Leominster, Lovell, Methuen, Newburyport, North
Andover, and Westborough, and the industries are Amesbury.Fibre Corp.,
Amesbury; Commodore Foods, Inc., Lowell; Continental Can Co., Haverhill;
Falulah Paper Co., Fitchburg; Fitchburg Paper Co., Fitchburg; Foster
Grant Co., Leominster; Gilet Wool Scouring Corp., Chelmsford; Groton
Leatherboard Co., Groton; Hollingsworth & Vose Co., Groton; Hoyt &
Worthen Tanning Corp., Haverhill; Lawrence Wool Scouring Co., Lawrence;
Lowell Rendering Co., Billerica; Mead Corp., Lawrence; Merrimack Paper
Co., Lawrence; North Billerica Co., Billerica; Oxford Paper Co., Lawrence;
Simonds Saw and Steel Co., Fitchburg; Southwell Combing Co., Chelrasford;
St. Regis Paper Co., Pepperell; Suffolk Knitting Co., Lowell; Vertipile,
Inc., Lowell; and Weyerhaeuser Paper Co., Fitchburg.
Discharges, other than bacteria, suspended solids, or oxygen demand-
ing material, include color-producing waste discharges by the Franconia
Paper Corp., Lincoln, New Hampshire; plating wastes probably containing
copper and cyanide by the Sanders Associates, Nashua, New Hampshire;
2,380 pounds of grease per day by the Southwell Combing Co., Chelmsford,
Massachusetts; 3,12° pounds of grease per day by the Gilet Wool Scouring
Corp., Chelmsford, Massachusetts; periodic dumping of dye by the Roxbury
Carpet Co., Framingham, Massachusetts; and 860 pounds of grease per day
by the Lawrence Wool Scouring Company, Lawrence, Massachusetts.
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Water Uses .
The Merrimack River is the municipal water supply .for-Lowell and
Lawrence, Massachusetts. As the population in the basin multiplies, an
increasing number of communities will be turning to the Merrimack River
to meet their water.needs. Construction and efficient operation of
well-designed sewage treatment plants will ensure adequate water quality
to enable the municipalities and industries to utilize this abundant and
inexpensive source of water.
Extensive use of the Merrimack River water is presently being made
by the basin's industries. This use is limited mainly to flow-through
applications, cooling water, power generation, and waste transport, with
very'little consumptive use. Sand "filters and other treatment methods
are often employed by industries to precondition the water. It would not
be unreasonable to expect an increase in industrial development once the
basin communities can offer improved water quality to both management and
employees for process water and recreational use.
Merrimack River water is used for irrigation of truck crops along
most of its banks, with a concentration of farms occurring between
Manchester, Hew Hampshire, and Lawrence, Massachusetts. Following con-
struction of adequate waste treatment facilities, irrigation water would
have a lower bacterial density, resulting in a reduced health hazard.
Recreational use of the main stem Merrimack River is severely re-
stricted due to the river's polluted condition. Fishing is limited by
an environment unsuitable for game fish cqmmon to the area and by public
abhorrence to fishing in water polluted with raw sewage and other waste
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materials. Proper control of this pollution would enable 10.5 million
people within a day's drive of the river and thousands in the rest of the
country to fully utilize the tremendous fish, wildlife, and recreational
potential of the Merrimack River Basin.
For the basin area, a minimum estimate of the potential resources
lost due to pollution is $37,000,000 for the year 196^. The income lost
from various sources is:
Commercial Shellfish $ 300,000
Recreational Visitor Income 21,300,000
Increased Property Value 9,100,000
Increased Tax Revenue 5,500,000
Miscellaneous 800,000
$37,000,000
This annual loss may be as high as 60 to 70 million dollars or $65 per
year for every man, woman, and child in the basin.
Effects of Pollution on Water Quality
Concentrated water quality studies in the Merrimack River Basin were
conducted during July and August of 1964 and 1965. Other supplemental
studies were made throughout the year. Pollution of the Merrimack River
and its tributaries was evaluated primarily on the basis of coliform
bacteria, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and temperature.
Time of travel data were obtained from Rhodamine B dye studies.
The temperature of the Merrimack River during the summer months
averaged 73«^°F (23°C). There was only one significant source of thermal
pollution, that being the Public Service Company of New Hampshire's power
generating facilities at Bow, New Hampshire. A temperature increase of
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5.1)-0F (3°C) vas apparent below the discharge area. Facilities should be
provided for cooling of the waste discharge, thereby preventing an exces-
sive temperature build-up in the river.
; Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) crossing the state line from New
Hampshire into Massachusetts, amounted to 28,800 pounds per day during
August, 1965. This is equivalent to the discharge of raw sewage from a
city of 169,000 persons.
Substantial amounts of BOD are discharged by.the Industries and
communities of Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, New Hampshire, and Lowell,
Lawrence, and Haverhill, Massachusetts, causing serious reduction in the
dissolved oxygen content of the Merrimack River during the summer months.
In June, July, August, and September of i.y6k and 19^5, minimum dissolved
oxygen from Manchester to Newburyport was less than 2.0 ppm at every
station; zero values were found below Haverhill.. At no point upstream
of Manchester was the minimum value in excess of 5.0 ppm. A value of
5.0 ppm is considered by most state water pollution control agencies to
be the minimum value to be maintained in order to provide for the maximum
potential warm-water sport fish population. It is also one of the re-
quirements, for Class C water, as established by the New England Inter-
state Water., Pollution Control Commission.
A depletion.of the oxygen resource of a river will reduce or elimi-
.nate aquatic life which serves as food for fishes. The biological study
of the Merrimack River shows .that those benthic organisms sensitive in
their response to pollution were absent in the lower 57 miles of the
Merrimack River. In only four extremely short portions of the river,
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consisting of less than 15 miles out of the total river mileage'"of 116,
did the river recover enough from its despoiled condition to permit a!
small number of sensitive organisms to exist.
With the exception of a short section 6"f the" rlver-between Hboksett
and-Manchester, bacterial pollution:presents a health hazard for all-full
body contact recreation, such'as swimming and water skiing, from Franklin,
Nev Hampshire, to Newburyport, Massachusetts. Below Manchester and Nashua,
New Hampshire, and Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhtll, Massachusetts, coli-
form densities in excess of 1,000,000 per TOO ml were hot uncommon, being
found as high as 9,200,000 per 100 ml. ReComtnended limits of colifbrm
densities for water contact 'sports range from 50 to 3,000 per 100 ml in
various states. :
Nashua and Hudson, New Hampshire, contributed over 98per cent of
the coliform bacteria crossing the New Hampshire-Massachusetts state line
during varm, low-flow periods of the year. However, with colder water
temperatures and increased flows in the autumn, the Nashua-Hudson portion
at the state line was reduced to 50 per cent; Manchester, NeW Hampshire,
vas responsible for 25 per cent of the total; and other upstream communi-
ties were responsible for 25 per cent. The discharge of raw and partially
treated sewage to the study area is a health hazard to the residents in the
downstream communities as well as to the local population.
Vegetables that are ordinarily eaten without cooking are irrigated at
several truck farms with water from the Merrimack River. Fecal conforms
were present on vegetables grown from farms Irrigating with Merrimack River
water in a significantly greater number of cases than on vegetables that
were not irrigated with the river water.
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While coliform bacteria densities indicate the magnitude of poten-
tial disease-producing organisms, detection-of.-pathogenic Salmonella bac-
teria is positive proof of the presence of such organisms. Typhoid fever,
gastroenteritis, and .diarrhea>are but a f ew ;of the many diseases of man
caused by these bacteria. Salmonellae. were consistently recovered from
the Merrimaek River in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, indicating
that ingestion of untreated Merrimaek River .water is a definite health
hazard. Salmonella organisms were isolated during each test made at the
Lowell and Lawrence water .intakes.,. These disease-producing organisms
were isolated from river water having a total coliform density as low as
180 per 100 ml. ... ;
The major contributors of'coliform bacteria to the estuary are: the
communities upstream of Newburyport and the two communities of Newburyport
and Salisbury. Of the bacteria originating from upstream; communities and
reaching Newburyport, 51*^ per cent emanated from the Lawrence region,
17.1 per cent from the Haverhill region, and. 31.^ per cent from the Amesbury
area. Discharges into the estuary from existing treatment facilities in
Newburyport,and Salisbury significantly increase the bacterial densities
near the shellfish growing areas.. If the potential one-million-dollar
annual shellfish harvest is to be a reality, the discharge of treated
sewage in the greater Lawrence, Haverhill, and Amesbury areas will need
constantly,and efficiently operating disinfection facilities. In addition,
the communities of Newburyport and Salisbury will need to discharge their
wastes, adequately treated, to the. Atlantic Ocean instead of to the estuary.
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Phosphate and nitrogen concentrations in the Merrimack River are far
in excess of the amount needed to produce nuisance algal blooms. In order
to reduce taste and odor problems with municipal water supplies.taken from
the river and to improve the esthetic, quality of the water,, the concentra-
tion of these nutrients should be reduced. •
Severe to moderate pollution exists in several tributaries of the
Merrimack River. These include the Souhegan River near Wilton and Milford,
New Hampshire; Beaver Brook near Derry, New Hampshire, and Lowell, Massa-
chusetts; the Assabet River below Westborough, Hudson, and Maynard, Massa-
chusetts; Hop Brook (a Sudbury River tributary) below Marlborough,
Massachusetts; the Concord River below Billqrica and in Lowell, Massa-
chusetts; the Spicket River in Salem, New Hampshire, and Methuen and
Lawrence, Massachusetts; the Shawsheen River below Bedford and in Andover,
Massachusetts; and the Powwow River below Amesbury, Massachusetts.
Gross oxygen production from photosynthesis in the Merrimack River
was between 0.8 and 2.0 ppm per day during the summers of 196^ and 1965.
These values were obtained by the use of light and dark bottle tests
between Manchester, New Hampshire, and Newburyport, Massachusetts. The
rate of oxygen production on cloudy days was found to be approximately
one-tenth the value found on sunny days.
In the 67-mile reach of the Merrimack River between Manchester and
Newburyport, there are approximately 16,900,000.cubic feet of settled
solid material, 7,900,000 of which are located between Lowell and
Lawrence, and 7,800,000 between Haverhill and Newbuiyport. The oxygen
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demand of these benthal deposits in the overflowing waters ranged from
0.2 to 1.0 ppm per day.
Oxygen balance studies were carried out, and the variables affecting
the oxygen sag curves were obtained for each of the six reaches below
Manchester, New Hampshire. These variables were adjusted to reflect the
future conditions in 1985 when a secondary waste treatment program for the
Merriraack River would be in effect. • Dissolved oxygen calculations for the
1985 conditions indicated that oxygen levels of T5 per cent of saturation
(Class B water as established by the Hew England Interstate Water Pollu-
tion Control Commission) can be met^from Franklin, New Hampshire, to
Lawrence, Massachusetts, andfromAmesbury, Massachusetts, to the Atlantic
Ocean.
Existing and potential future water uses in the Merrimack River indi-
cate that it will be used for a variety ofpurposes. Consideration was
given to water quality limits for various constituents that would affect
the suitability of the stream for each water use. In order to decrease
the biochemical oxygen demand and bacteria in the wastes to be discharged
to the Merrimack River, to provide" an effluent more esthetically accept-
able to the public, to assure the existing and future desirable uses of
the river, and to protect the health and welfare of the public, it will be
necessary to provide secondary waste treatment or equivalent, with disin-
fection, for all waste discharges; If the recommendations of this report
are followed, water quality of sufficient purity to accommodate the
various water uses will be attained.
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STREAM STUDIES T- BIOLOGICAL
The biological studies show that, with fev exceptions, the Merrimack
River is grossly polluted from Franklin, New Hampshire, to ^.ts mouth at
Newburyport, Massachusetts. , v
Benthic organisms sensitive to pollution were absent from the samples
taken in the lower 57 miles of the Merrimack River. In only four extremely
short portions of the river, consisting of less, than 15 mi,les out of the
total river mileage of 116, did the river recover enough from its despoiled
condition to permit a small number of sensitive organisms to exist before
additional wastes reduced the quality of the river. These four areas were:
four miles below the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Vinnipesaukee
Rivers; above Concord, New Hampshire; in the reservoir behind Amoskeag Dam;
and Just above the Nashua River confluence.
Organisms intermediate in their response to pollution were predominant.
from below Franklin, New Hampshire, to the confluence of the Contoocook
I
River. Additional waste discharges between the Contoocook River and the
Suncook River resulted in ion increase in the proportion of pollution-
tolerant forms. Between Hooksett and Manchester, New Hampshire, the
I
majority of bottom organisms again were of the types Intermediate in their
resistance to pollution. From Manchester to Amesbury, Massachusetts, a
-------
distance of 66 miles, pollution-tolerant organisms constituted the entire
benthic population or the majority of the forms found.
The number of species found in the Merrimack River was far belov the
levels desired in a benthic community. Pollution-sensitive benthic fauna,
such as mayflies, stoneflies, and certain beetles, were not found in the
river from Manchester, New Hampshire, to the Atlantic Ocean.
A number of tributaries were sampled near their confluences with the
Merrimack River. Results show that all of the sampled areas were polluted.
In most .cases, wastes were;discharged into the lower part of the tributary
and affected the bottom fauna.
. A biological survey was carried out on the lower Souhegan River, a
tributary which discharges into the Merrimack-River 12.5 miles upstream
of the New Hampshire-Massachusetts state line. Between Wilton and Milford,
New Hampshire, the Souhegan deteriorated considerably, with pollution-
tolerant leeches and sludgeworms making up most of the benthic fauna.
This polluted condition of the river continued for several miles down-
stream of Milford. From a biological standpoint, the river was moderately
polluted .from Wilton, New Hampshire, to its confluence with the Merrimack
River, a distance of 20 miles.
A productivity study of the Merrimack River was conducted between
Manchester, New Hampshire, and Lowell, Massachusetts, that reflected a
relative increase in productivity as the river flowed downstream.
The surface water of the Merrimack River at the entrance to the
Essex Canal in Lawrence was monitored periodically for phytoplankton and
zooplankton from April through October, 1965. Most of the kinds of
phytoplankton found were tolerant of pollution.
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PILOT PLANT STUDY OP BENTHAL OXYGEN DEMAND
The areal oxygen demand of bottom sediments'taken from the Merrimack
River in Massachusetts was determined by a small pilot plant. Parameters
in the benthic rate equation were evaluated on the basis of the data ob-
tained, and the effect of sediment depth on the benthic rate constant, k^,
was studied.
The value of the benthic rate constant, -kjp varies with the age and
depth of the deposit. A marked decrease of k^ with Increase in sediment
depth occurred between 1,5 and 10 cm. Above 15 cm no significant decrease
in kjj. was observed.
Only the upper 15 cm of sediment had any significant effect on the
areal oxygen demand. The observed data were closely approximated by the
-klit'
equation L^ = IM • 10 4 at all sediment depths except the 1.5 cm depth.
Nitrification was believed to play a role in the oxygen demand of the
sediments and was especially significant in the shallow depths studied.
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NASHUA RIVER
Serious pollution exists in the North Nashua River from the outfall
of the Weyerhaeuser Paper Company, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to the con-
fluence of the north and south branches of the Nashua River at Lancaster,
Massachusetts; in the Nashua River from Lancaster to the mouth of the
Nashua River in Nev Hampshire; in the Squannacook River below the dam at
Vose Village; and in the South Branch Nashua River below Clinton, Massa-
chusetts. This pollution affects present and potential water uses.
Discharges from paper mills result in suspended solids, organic
matter causing biochemical oxygen demand, and materials causing apparent
color in the stream. By far the largest loadings emanate from the three
paper industries of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Inadequate sewage treatr
ment, particularly at Fitchburg and Leominster, Massachusetts, contributes
to the problem by causing excessive bacterial densities, suspended solids,
nutrients, and organic matter causing biochemical oxygen demand. Plastics
and metal fabrication industries also add suspended solids and materials
that cause biochemical oxygen demand.
Bacteria equivalent to those in the raw sewage of approximately
2^,000 persons are discharged to the streams at present. Fitchburg and
Leominster, Massachusetts, contribute 90 per cent of the total. The coli-
form bacteria in the North Nashua River were as high as 680 times the
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recommended maximum value of 5,000 per 100 ml for this stream. Pathogenic
bacteria were isolated in both the Worth Nashua and South Branch Nashua
Rivers.
Discharges of suspended solids create a severe problem in the Nashua
River. These materials cause deep sludge deposits which deplete the
stream-oxygen supply, produce offensive odors, and reduce or eliminate
aquatic life which serves as food for fishes. The suspended matter also
makes these once attractive waters appear turbid. Suspended solids dis-
charged to the Nashua River Basin are equivalent to those in the raw
sewage of 556,000 persons. Of these nearly 92 per cent come from the
paper mills. It was estimated that IT million cubic feet of sediments
have accumulated in Pepperell Pond alone.
Sewage and industrial wastes presently discharged have an estimated
biochemical oxygen demand population equivalent of 178,000, of which the
paper industries contribute 76 per cent. As a result of the reduction in
dissolved oxygen, fish, fish food organisms, and other desirable forms of
aquatic life are destroyed. In addition, when dissolved oxygen is re-
duced to zero, obnoxious odors are given off by the stream.
Nutrients discharged to the Nashua River Basin result in excessive
densities of algae and other aquatic plants, creating a nuisance. These
plants may die and decompose, causing unsightly conditions, obnoxious
odors, and depletion of dissolved oxygen. In addition, in the absence of
i
sunlight, the algal respiration depresses the dissolved oxygen to low
levels--at times to zerbJ Estimates based on sewered population and
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stream analyses indicate that 128,000 population equivalents of ortho-
phosphates are discharged to the Nashua River. Phosphates are key
nutrients vhich are readily available for the growth of algae and other
aquatic plants.
As a result of the severely polluted condition of the Nashua River,
the people vho live in the towns bordering the river in Nev Hampshire and
Massachusetts petitioned the governors of the two states to take immediate
abatement action. The people demanded that the river be restored to a
high state of water quality.
The Nashua River system has been classified for future highest use
by the state and interstate agencies. The classification of the North
Nashua and Nashua Rivers was set at Class C. However, in Massachusetts
the Nashua River was assigned the coliform limitation established for
Class B water. Class C waters would be suitable for recreational boating
and fish and wildlife usage, while the coliform limit on the Nashua River
would permit recreational bathing. These classifications would permit
the recreational developments desired by most of the citizens of the area
and would probably provide water quality adequate for industry.
In addition to many other uses, the Nashua River can be used at the
Fort Devens Military Reservation for training exercises involving rivers
and for recreation when pollution is controlled. The sections of the
river forming the post boundary could be used for public recreation,
while the sections entirely within the reservation could be used for
recreation either by post personnel or by the public by permit.
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PEMEGEWASSET RIVER
Serious pollution exists In the Pemigewasflet River from the conflu-
ence with the East Branch Pemlgevasset River In Lincoln, New Hampshire,
to the confluence of the Winnipesaukee River in Franklin, New Hampshire,
due to the discharge of sewage and industrial wastes in the basin. Effects
of these discharges persist all the way into Massachusetts.
Discharges of raw sewage from several towns result in excessive den-
sities of bacteria and make much of the Pemigewasset River unsuitable for
recreational purposes, even where only limited body contact is involved.
About 29 of the 35 miles of stream between North Woodstock and New Hampton
are above the 5,000 coliforms per 100 ml limit usually recommended for rec-
reational uses. Some of these bacteria may be pathogens which can infect
persons ingesting the water.
Suspended solids discharged to the Pemigewasset River watershed are
equivalent to those in the raw sewage of 287,500 persons, of which over
98 per cent emanate from industrial plants. These solids result in sludge
deposits, especially in the impoundment behind Ayers Island Dam. The
sludge reduces or eliminates aquatic life which serves as food for fishes,
depletes the stream oxygen supply, and produces offensive odors. Hydro-
gen sulfide, resulting from sludge deposits behind Ayers Island Dam,
caused thousands of dollars of damage to houses in Bristol, New Hampshire,
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on August 18, 1965, and on August 23, 1966, by discoloring the paint on
the houses.
Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Pemigewasset River are de-
pressed by the discharge of organic materials which decompose in the
river and exert an oxygen demand. Minimum dissolved oxygen concentra-
tions were belov desirable levels from the East Branch Pemigevasset River
in Lincoln, Nev Hampshire, to the mouth of the Pemigevasset in Franklin. :
The Franconia Paper Corporation is responsible for 9^»5 per cent of the
oxygen demand in the Pemigevasset River Basin, with a discharge having an
oxygen demand equivalent to that of the raw sewage of UOO,000 persons.
Low dissolved oxygen concentrations destroy fish, fish food organisms,
and other desirable aquatic life.
Sulfite vaste liquor, released to the Pemigewasset River by the
Franconia Paper Corporation, not only creates an enormous oxygen demand
due primarily to the wood sugars but also contains lignin sulfonates •,
which persist as the waters flow into Massachusetts.- Pollution from the .
Franconia Paper Corporation vas included in the first session of the
conference. As a result of the sulfite vaste liquor, the river is dis-
colored, adding to the water treatment costs at Lowell and Lawrence,
Massachusetts.
The Pemigewasset River is in the heart of prime recreational area of
New Hampshire. However, as a result of pollution, recreational use of the
Pemigevasset is reduced or destroyed, impeding the economic growth of the
area downstream of the pollutional discharges.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Many suggestions of the Mefrimack River Project concerning water
quality criteria..and stream classification have already been implemented
by the two Basin states in the process of adopting water quality standards.
Still others are being considered by the New England Interstate Water
Pollution Control Commission for the -region as a whole as well as the
Basin waters. . ... • ,- • •
Implementation and' construction schedules submitted by the states of
New Hampshire and Massachusetts and approved by the Secretary of the
Interior, as required by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as
amended, shall be followed for the Merrimack River Basin, implementation
and construction schedules for sources of pollution on intrastate portions
of the Merrimack River Basin in Massachusetts shall be in accordance with
state and local requirements so as-to meet the stream classifications.
It.is recommended that the implementation program for the following
New -Hampshire communities in the Merrimack River Basin, that did not
receive approval by the Secretary, be as follows:
Manchester Concord Plymouth
Type of treatment
Final plans and specifications
Start construction
Complete construction
Secondary Secondary ' Secondary
Dec. 1970 May 1969 July 1971
Apr. 1972 Apr. 1971 July 1973
Dec. 197^ Apr. 1973 Dec. 197^
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Consideration shall be given in'the water pollution control program,
as necessary, to the following:
1. Sewerage systems with collection sewers terminating in
adequate treatment facilities shall be provided in those
areas along the stream where sewers do not now exist and
where homes discharge either raw wastes or septic tank
effluent to the watercourse and where local treatment
facilities will not suffice.
2. All new construction of sewer lines and revisions to
existing systems shall provide for the separation of
storm runoff and sewage.
3. All new and existing waste treatment facilities shall be
designed or modified, if possible, to prevent bypassing
of untreated wastes during maintenance and renovation
operations and power failures.
k. All municipal and industrial wastes in the Merrimack
River Basin are to receive a minimum of secondary
treatment or equivalent. All effluents containing
domestic wastes are to receive adequate disinfection.
Maximum removal of nutrients, including phosphates, by
the most effective available means is to be provided,
as necessary, to meet stream classifications.
5. All industries and municipalities in the area discharging
waste material to the public waters shall maintain an' •
inventory of critical waste treatment parts and supplies
on the plant premises so that a minimum delay in effective
waste treatment will result when replacement or repair-is
necessary.
6. Consideration shall be given for 24-hour supervised opera-
tion of all sewage treatment plants.
T. Provisions shall be made to allow sampling of the final
effluent prior to discharge. ;
8. No backwater or eddies shall exist near the outfall that
would hinder mixing. The location of the outfall should
be such as to enhance mixing of the treatment plant
effluent.
9« Operation of dams in the Merrimack River Basin should be
regulated by the appropriate agency so that certain ade-
quate flows are released at all times.
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10. All water treatment plants shall dispose of spent acti-
vated carbon and settled solids by means other than to
the stream.
11. Facilities to accept septic tank truck discharges are
to be provided at sevage treatment plants or other
approved areas.
12. There shall be no discharges from septic tank cleaning
operations directly to the vaters of the Basin.
13. All marine conveyances equipped vith marine toilets
operating upon the Basin waters shall use a holding
tank or other approved pollution control device.
ll»-. The appropriate agency should prohibit garbage or refuse
(including automobile bodies and other unsightly debris)
from being dumped along the banks of the river, and no
open dumps should be allowed on the flood plain. Mate-
rial in present dump sites along the river banks shall
be removed and the appearance of the bank restored to
an esthetically acceptable condition. Present open
dumps on the flood plain should be converted to sanitary
landfills operated acceptably to the appropriate state
agencies.
15. In the shellfish growing areas near the mouth of the
Merrimack River, the requirements of the National
Shellfish Sanitation Program are to be met in order
to permit reopening of the maximum number of those
areas presently closed to the harvesting of shellfish.
16. Consideration should be given by the City of Newburyport
and the Town of Salisbury, Massachusetts, to developing
an engineering report which would include the relative
merits of:
a. Treatment and joint discharge to the Atlantic Ocean;
b. Individual discharges to the Atlantic Ocean;
c. Joint treatment and discharge to the Merrimack
estuary; and
•i
d. Individual discharges to the Merrimack estuary.
In all cases, the report shall include the relative
economic values of the estuarine resources.
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MERRIMACK RIVER BASIN
SCALE M MILES
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