INDUSTRIAL WASTE SURVET
FORTE BROTHERS INCORPORATED
CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND
MAY 18, 1972 - JUNE 12, 1972
At the request of the U. S. Attorney for Rhode Island, U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency personnel sampled the wastewater
discharges of Forte Brothers Incorporated, Cumberland, Rhode Island
and the Blackstone River. The objective was to sample for a possible
enforcement action against the company under Section 13 of the River
and Harbor Act of 1899. Permission to sample was obtained from Mr. Al
Forte, company manager, prior to each survey.
Forte Brothers Incorporated produces 10,000 tons per week or
approximately one truck load every 3 minutes of crushed stone and
sand by the quarrying, crushing, washing and sizing of stone. The plant
operates approximately ten hours per day, five days per week for eight
month (April to November).
Forte Brothers Inc. pumps its process water from the Blackstone
River to washer-loading bins to remove silt and finely divided sand
from the products. Most of this wastewater is transmitted by a trough
to the first of three settling ponds. However, washwater leaks out
of this trough as well as from the bottom of the bins and flows un-
treated into the Blackstone River. Mr. Forte, plant manager, stated
that the discharge flow rate from the third settling pond equals nine
million gallons per day. On May 18, 1972, this flow was measured to be
approximately five million gallons per day.
Proper maintenance of the three ponds calls for periodic dredging
to remove the sediment. This dredging along with dredging of the
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untreated leakage area adjacent to the first pond is accomplished usually
on Saturdays. Sediment removed in this operation has been dumped on the
bank of the Blackatone River for sometime. This procedure was witnessed
by the sampling crew on Nay 11, 1972, during the reconnaissance survey.
During and shortly after rainfails this dredged material washes into
the Blacks tone River.
Sampling Information
Grab samples of the wastewater from the plant were collected at
two locations: the discharge from the third settling pond (Station
FOR1) and the untreated leakage from the washer-loader (Station FOR2).
Also grab samples of the Blackstone River were collected upstream of the
discharges at Stat on BLR1 on May 18, 1972, and BLR1A on June 12, 1972,
as well as downstream at Station BLR2 on both survey dates.
All samples were collected, preserved and analyzed according to
EPA Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. The
EPA Region I chain of custody system was used for identification and
handling of the samples. The EPA laboratory in Needhain, Massachusetts
performed all of the analyses.
Figure 1 is a sketch of the general area showing all sampling
locations. Table 1 locates and describes the sampling stations. Photo-
graphs of the area are included in the Appendix.
Results
Table 2 summarizes the results of the laboratory analyses. Table
3 shows the loading rates of suspended solids in pounds per day to the
Blackstone River.
Forte Brothers Incorporated discharges suspended solids, measured
as total nonfilterable residue, to the Blackstone River from three main
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sources: the discharge from the third settling pond (Station FOR1), and
the untreated leakage from the washer-loader (Station FOR2) and yard run-
offs including that from the sediment dump on the bank of the river. Where
the discharge from the third pond is continuous throughout the day, the
untreated leakage from the washer-loader discharges only during the oper-
ation or for approximately ten hours per day.
The dredged sediment from the three settling ponds and the leakage
drainage area is dumped on the bank of the Blacks tone River. The sampling
crew observed numerous areas where the run-off had eroded this material into
the river. Therefore, the total suspended solids loading from the Forte
Brothers operation to the Blackstone River is increased during and shortly
after a rainfall.
Surve3rofMay18 1972
Based upon the measured flow rate of five million gaflons per day
(MOD) and effluent suspended solids concentration of 20.9 milligrams per
liter (mg/i), the third, settling pond discharged approximately 870 pounds
per day (PPD) of suspended solids to the Blackstone River. The untreated
leakage which had a measured flow rate of 26,000 gallons per ten hour oper-
ating day and suspended solids concentration of i 1 8 mg/i, produced a sus-
pended solids loading of approximately 90 pounds per ten hour operating day
on the Blacketone River. The flow measurement was made by diverting the
leakage to a ditch of known dimensions and measuring the velocity of the
flow.
As shown in Table 3, these two .discharges combined to produce a
total suspended solids loading on the Blackstone River of approximately
960 pounds per day. Both discharges appeared to be highly turbid. Photo-
graphs of these areas are shown in the Appendix.
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Survey of June 12 • 1972
During this survey, the discharge from the third settling pond was
plugged and the three ponds were being filled. Standard procedure
auows the ponds to drain on weekends. Consequently, there was no dis-
O
charge from the third pond during this Monday morning survey. Mr. Forte
told the sampling crew that the plug would be removed later in the day
and the third pond would again discharge to the B].ackstone River.
The discharge of untreated leakage, with a measured flow rate of
1 ,300 gallons per ten hour operating day and suspended solids concen-
tration of 1,066 mg/i produced the suspended solids loading rate of I O0
pounds per ten hour operating day to the Blacks tone River. This dis-
charge has caused the build-up of sand bars along the bank of the river.
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TABLE 1
SAMPLE ST&TION IDENTIFICATION
Station Latitude Longitude Description
0 i t 0 , it
FOR 1 L 1 8 33 71 28 314 discharge of third pond
FOR2 141 58 39 71 28 1i5 run-off from washer-loader
BLR1 142 0 22 71 30 11 Blacks tone River upstream @USGS
guage in Woonsocket, LI.
BLR1A 141 58 1 1 71 28 146 Blackstone River 300 yards up—
stream from sand bar
BLR2 141 58 15 71 28 28 Blacks tone River downstream
@Manville Road bridge
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WOONSOCKET
° BLR I
I MILE
*
/
‘U
FoI TE B o-rHeRs
Xt4 D PORATEP
‘U
I .-
(j
-J
RIVER DAM
FIGURI .
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SAMPL1! ANALYSES
ABBREVIATION AND UNITS OF MEASURE
Ana2ysis Reported Description Measured In
Temp Temperature degrees centigrade (°c)
pH I rdrogen ion concentration standard units (s.u.)
Turbidity Jackson Turbidity Units
(J T u.)
Total NFR Total nonfi].terabie residue
(a measure of suspended solids) milligrams per liter
(mg/i)
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TABLE 2
FORTE BROTHERS INCORPORATED
May 18, 1972 & June 12, 1972
Laboratoxy Analyses
Sampling Lab Depth Temp Field pH Turbidity Total NFR
Station Date Time Code (ft.) (°C) (s.U.) (J.T.IJ.) (mg/i)
FOR1 S/i 8/72 1310 29796 * 20.0 6.l 23.0 20.9
POR2 5/18/72 1300 29797 * 23.0 7.2 - 1j30 .0 iji 8
6/12/72 100 29787 * 17.0 - 52OTö io66
River
BLR1 5/18/72 13k 5 29798 1.0 18.0 6.8 7.2 N
BLR1A 6/12/72 1030 29788 1.0 17.0 13 12.9
BLR2 S/18/72 121j 5 29799 1.0 17.0 7.1 23.0 N
6/12/72 091 5 29789 1.0 17.0 — 10 13.8
Code
N - presumptive evidence of presence of material
* 4 • en just beneath surface of wastewater
calcu1ated value
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TABLE 3
FORTE BROTHERS INCORPORATED
SUSPENDED SOLIDS LOADING RATES
Station May 18 1972 June 12 1972
FOR1 870 ppd
FOR2 90 pp 1 Ohr. d r -- pp 1 Ohr. d
Tota].* - 960 ppd [ Thoo,’ ppd
ppd denotes pounds per day
pp lOhr,d denotes pounds per 10 hour day
* Total pounds of 8uspeflded solids discharged for the entire day
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APPENDIX
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LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS
(1) Discharge from third settling pond - Station FOR 1
(2) Washer/loader - showing water pouring out of bottom
(3) Also of washer/loader — 8howing truck being filled
(Li) Untreated run-off from washer/loader - looking downstream
toward B].ackatone River
•( ) Sand entering run-off from gravel pile
(6) Sampling Station FOR 2
(7) Looking upstream at sand bars near Station FOR 2
(8) Looking downstream from Station BLR 2
(9) Station BLR 2
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