INDUSTRIAL WASTE SURVEY
Diventco Incorporated
and
Housatonic River
New Milford, Connecticut
October 21, 1971
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.INDUSTRIAL WASTE SURVEY
DIVENTCO INCORPORATED
NEW MILFORD, CONNECTICUT
OCTOBER 21, 1971
At the request of the U.S.Attorney for Connecticut, personnel from,
the Environmental Protection Agency, Region I, sampled the outfall from
Diventco Inc. and the Housatonic River in New Mi]ford, Connecticut, on
October 21, 1971. Donald Porteous and Donald Berger, sanitary engineers,
collected all samples. Mr. Porteous supervised the sample collection.
Charles Corkin II, attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency,
accompanied the sampling crew.
The objective of the study was to sample for an enforcement action
against the company under the 1899 River and Harbor Act.
Diventco Incorporated
Diventco Inc. is primarily involved with the fabrication of printed
circuit boards by a plating and etching process. Diventco discharges
approximately 30,000 gallons per day of untreated rinsewater through a
pipe located on the east bank of the Housatonic River(see Figure 1. and 5).
The plant operates 10 hours per day, four days per week.
The production process requires the etching of the copper plated
board with hydrochloric, sulfuric, and fluoboric acids and amnonium
persulfate. Between each process bath the boards are washed with water
- -to remove chemical films thereby preventing contamination of the baths.
The bath are agitated by quantities of water to remove the
tenaciously-adhering chemical film.

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Sampling Procedures
On October 15, 1971, Mr. Porteous received permission from Mr.Finley,
President of Diventco Inc. to sample the effluent for possible enforce-
ment action. Dye studies performed on October 20, 1971, revealed that
Diventco discharges its waste through a 6 inch pipe to the Ilousatonic
River(Figures 2 through 4).
Sampling stations are shown in Figure 6. Table 1 gives the location
of the sampling stations. The sampling crew collected samples in storage
and transport containers and preserved the samples as noted below:
Cubitainer Size Preservation Analysis
One quart cubitainer Iced Residue series
One quart cubitainer Iced Acidity and alkalinity
One quart cubitainer Iced Total nitrogen -
One quart cubitainer 5 ml CMC1 3 Total phosphorus
and Iced
One quart cubitainer Iced Metals
Dissolved oxygen E.P.A. Standard Dissolved oxygen
bottles Method
The metal samples were analyzed for copper, lead, tin and nickel by
atomic absorption spectroscopy. Arsenic was analyzed by a wet chemical technique.
Flow measurement was made five times using a calibrated bucket noting the volume
collected during various time intervals. Sample temperature was measured in
the field with a metal thermometer. The pH was measured with an electrode pH
meter. Samples were preserved as shown above and returned to the Needham
laboratory for analysis the day of the sampling.
-2-

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Sample Identification
Each sample was tagged with one chain of custody tag giving collect-
ing agency, laboratory number, time, date, source of sample, collector’s
signature and title, and witness’s signature and title, plus information
on the transfer of the sample. In addition a pre-numbered field data
card was filled Out for each collection time to record weather conditions,
the temperature of the sample, and the sampling location.
Results
Tables 2 and 3 summarize the results of the laboratory analysis.
Table 4 shows the loading rates of the various metals to the river.
The flow rate of the industrial discharge at the time of sampling
averaged 24,600 gallons per ten hour day. Mr. Finley said his discharge
rate was 30,000 gallons per ten hour day.
The pH of the discharge varied between 2.8 and 3.9 reflecting the
fact that acid wash is discharged.
Sample number 29460 was collected when a foamy blue slug was f low-
ing from the discharge pipe which appeared to be an abnormal discharge,
therefore it was not included in determining average values.
Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential nutrients for the growth of
aquatic organisms including aljae An overabundañ èThfthes&nutr ents
leads to eutrophication of rivers and lakes. Diventco’a waste contained
both nutrients.
Diventco discharges 58.5 pounds per day of solids to the Housatonic
River as measured by the total residue test. The river downstream of
the Diventco plant showed an increase in total solids content.
-3-

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Total solids are classified as dissolved solids, filterable residue,
and suspended solids, nonfilterable residue. Dissolved solids, discharged
at a rate of 57.3 pounds per day, can be chemically and/or biologically
transformed to suspended solids in the stream. Suspended solids in the
river increased below the Diventco plant. Disregarding any toxic effects,
suspended solids may kill fish by causing abrasive injuries; by clogging
the gills; and by blanketing the bottom killing eggs, destroying spawn-
ing beds, and killing food organisms. Indirectly, suspended solids are
harmful in that they screen Out light, thus preventing photosynthesis
in the stream. Part of the solids discharged are heavy metals includ-
ing copper, lead, nickel and tin, and since the pH of the waste is so
low most of these metals are dissolved in the waste.
Diventco discharges approximately 1.7 pounds per day of copper
which increases the quantity of copper in the Housatonic River. The
average copper concentration below the plant was 93 ugh, which is over
four and one half times the threshold concentration of 20 ugh, which
adversely affec sfish and aquatic organisms.
The concentration of lead and nickel in the Housatonic River also
increased below the Diventco plant. Both of these metals are toxic to
man and aquatic organisms.
Diventco discharges approximately 0.75 pounds per day of tin. The
increase in the tin concentration in the river could not be measured due
to the sensitivity of the instrument used.
The firm also discharges small quantities of arsenic.
-4-

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TABLE 1
SA (PLE STATION IDENTIFICATION
Station Latitude Longitude Description
p U p iigi
(Outfall)
D 0 01 4]. 34 25 73 24 47 Industrial outfall from
Diventco Inc. into
Housatonic River
(River) 41. 34 29 73 24 55 }lousatonic River at
HOOl Route 67 Bridge
11002 41. 34 2] 72 34 47 Housatonic River approximately
500 yards downstream of the
outfall

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SAMPLE ANALYSES
ABBREVIATIONS AND UNITS OF MEASURE
Analyses Reported Description Measured In
Temperature Sample temperature Degrees centigrade (°C)
pH Standard Units (S.U.)
DO Dissolved oxygen Milligrams per liter(mg/l)
Acidity Capacity of water to mg/i as CaCo 3
donate protons
Alkalinity Capacity of water to mg/i as CaCo 3
accept protons
Total. residue Total solids mg/I.
Total nonfilterable Total suspended solids mg/i
residue
TKN Total kjeldahl nitrogen mg/i as nitrogen
Total phosphorus mg/i as phosphorus
Letters preceding a reported value denote the following:
J - estimated as, value not accurate
K - less than
L - greater than

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TABLE 2
DIVENTCO INCORPORATED
AND
HOUSATONIC RIVER
SUMMARY SHEET
OCTOBER 21, 1971
pH TKN
(S .U.)(mg/l)
Temp
Station Time (°C)
(Industrial Outfall)
DOOl 1025 19.5
DOOl 1040 18.0
DOOl 1055 18.0
DOOl 1015
2.8
3.2
3.9
Alkalinity
Total
Phosphorus
D.0.
Total
Residue
Total Non-
Filterable Residue
(mg/i)
(mg/l)
(mg/i)
(mg/i)
(mg/i)
2.7
12.0
23.2
Acidity
(rng/l)
217.5
100.5
44.5
3.0
5.8
4.7
4.0
4.3
2.7
(River)
HOOl
11001
HO0 I.
H002
H002
11002
7.7 1.2
7.4 0.4
7.5 0.5
0925
0940
1005
1110
1125
1140
12.5
12.5
12.5
13.0
13.0
13.0
0.96
2.20
1.56
1.24
.07
.08
.08
.08
.10
.08
7.6
7.7
7.8
82
367
95
102.5
93
107
0.4
0.5
0.4
270
330
255
162
160
160
206
167
172
7.5
2.5
8.9
4.2
7.0
8.4
5.2
12.5
10.4
Lab Code
29451
29452
29453
29460
29454
29455
29456
29457
29458
29459
9.4
9.5
8.9
9.3
9.5
9.5

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TABLE 3
DIVENTCO INCORPORATED
SUMNARY SHEET
OCTOBER 21, 1971
Copper Lead Tin Nickel Arsenic*
Station Time (ugh) (ugh) (ugh). (ugh) (ugh) Lab Code
(Outfall)
DOOl 1025 3120 980 6000 30 11. 29451
DOOl 1040 9340 540 2600 20 14 29452
DOOl 1055 12680 240 2400 20 6 29453
DOOl. 1015 80 30 K 1200 20 14 29460
(Housatonic River)
11001 0925 10 10 K 1200 K 20 9 29454
11001. 0940 26 20 K 1200 K 20 23 29455
HOOl 1005 60 30 K 1200 20 11 29456
11002 1110 70 30 K 1200 20 14 29457
H002 1125 200 40 K 1200 30 17 29458
HO02 1140 10 30 K 1200 30 Kl.O 29459
*Analyzed by wet chemical technique

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TABLE 4
SUMMARY OF METALS LOADING
Metal Loading Rate
( Pounds / day )
Copper 1.72
Tin 0.752
Lead 0.121
Nickel 0.005
Arsenic 0.002
Total Residue 58.5
Basis: Discharge rate equal to 24,600 gallons per ten .hour day

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DIVENTCO
NEW MILFORD
INC.
CON N.
Milford
FIGURE 1

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Figure
2: Dye study
Diventco Inc.
1630 hours
outfall
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• Figure 3: Dye study 1635 hours
Dye entered in process pipe
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Figure 4: Dye study 1640 hours
Showing dye flowing from pipe
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d --d — —-s
C
Figure 5:
Showing flow from Diventco Inc.
outfall directly into river

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Figure 6:
Sampling stations
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f. ;• g1ig

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Re ferences
1. Jack E. McKee and Harold W. Wolf,
_ California at W t O ljt y_Control Board, 1963.
2. Methods For Chemical Analysis Of Water And Wastes ;
Environmental Protection Agency Water Quality Office,
Cincinnati, Ohio, 1971

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