SHREWSBURY – When the City of Worcester announced on July 24 that 15,000 gallons of untreated wastewater had been discharged from an underground pipe near 23 Southwest Cutoff – across Route 20 from Southwest Commons – it prompted frequent tests for E. coli, a bacteria often found in feces.
But for residents along Lake Quinsigamond, dealing with unexpected sewage discharged into the 4-mile-long body of water – straddling Shrewsbury and Worcester, with areas in Grafton – has become somewhat of a reflex. It’s been a recurring problem and a source of frustration.
Due to a number of incidents over the past 10 years, over 6.08 million gallons of wastewater hae been accidentally dumped into Lake Quinsigamond. Though some occurrences point to different infrastructure problems, and some events were larger than others, all have residents feeling “riled” as Lake Quinsigamond Commissioner Michael Paika said in 2024…