The Altoona Water Authority’s Wastewater Division has two (2) points were combined storm water system and sanitary collection system waters are discharged to receiving streams. The receiving streams and discharge points are:

Mill Run Stream – behind the Altoona Bible Church and across from Log Cabin Court

Spring Run/Little Juniata River – Entrance to Norfolk Southern’s Track Maintenance Facility at Juniata Street and E. Sixth Avenue

These areas have been posted with warning signs of potential harm during rainfall and high flow events. The signs state the following:

NOTICE:

COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW DISCHARGE POINT 
NO PERSON SHOULD ENTER THESE WATERS DURING WET WEATHER OVERFLOW OCCURENCES.
FECAL COLIFORM CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER MAY CAUSE FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS IN HUMANS IF EXPOSED TO THIS WASTEWATER 
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE WASTEWATER FROM THE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW CALL THE ALTOONA WATER AUTHORITY AT 949-2222.

The wet weather discharges occur when the city receives 0.50 to 0.75 inches of rain or an accumulation of 5 inches or more of continual melting snow runs into the storm inlets. The average number of discharge occurrences is 38 per year at both discharge points.

Any and all overflow occurrence is reported to DEP and EPA in the monthly discharge monitoring reports. Samples are taken once per month during an overflow event at both overflows for fecal coliform, pH, biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and ammonium nitrogen. Samples are take above the discharge points, at the discharge point, and below the discharge point to determine any stream impact.