Portland Reports Rainstorm Sent Raw Sewage Into Casco Bay

PORTLAND, Maine - Portland, Maine, officials say an October rainstorm that helped the area recover from a drought also contributed to millions of gallons of raw sewage and stormwater flowing into the Casco Bay.
 
The Portland Press Herald reports close to 69 million gallons of polluted runoff flowed into waterways during the 2016 storm Oct. 21 and 22. The runoff from that storm made up 21 percent of the total 318.4 million gallons of sewage and stormwater that was added to Casco Bay pollution that year.
 
The Maine city is more than halfway through its 40-year, $250 million plan to reduce polluted runoff into local waterways.
 
So far, officials say it has achieved an 80 percent decrease in the amount of tainted water that flowed into waterways 30 years ago.