Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Sea level THE PLAN

Riser
A To reach the diffusers, the five-man crew drove a Humvee; a trailer in tow carried a B Just after the 9-mile mark, the tunnel is too small
leading to
Diffuser rack of liquid gas tanks as well as another Humvee that faced the opposite for the Humvee to go farther. From there, a
Shaft Seafloor 100 seafloor
400 caps direction for easy exit. The tunnel is too narrow to allow a vehicle to turn around. three-man team walked to the end of the tunnel,
feet diffuser
feet dragging a boat with equipment.

C To remove each
Backup air supply
Tunnel Risers 65-pound plug, workers
Main air had to crawl deep inside
supply a 30-inch-wide pipe,
A B C
Bedrock and then repeat that
task 54 times.
Trailer
( Areas of detail
at right )
el Diffusers THE TUNNEL
Winthrop n
Tun The tunnel was designed
Logan
to carry treated sewer water more than 9 Safety
Airport
Deer MASSACHUSETTS
miles into Massachusetts Bay. The water exits Along the final mile or so plug
Island BAY of the tunnel, the floor ramps up and
BOSTON
Harbor Islands the tunnel through 55 risers and diffuser caps,
slowing and spreading out the flow of water. the width of the tunnel chokes down. Boat

Compacted rock SOURCES: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority,

attorneys John Prescott and Robert Norton, and Globe archives
9.5 miles