From his native Italy, with his wife and children, Luigi Bondi came to Springfield in the late 1800's. With a successful venture in the produce business under his belt, he started acquiring land in and around Springfield. He purchased an Island (Bondi's Island) on the Connecticut River in 1889 for $100.00. It was common practice in those days to measure real estate in approximations to local landmarks, unfortunately landmarks change as time goes on so it is not known for certain where the original Bondi's Island lies. Speculation and local lore has the Island under the west end of the memorial bridge. So why is the Springfield Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility nicknamed "Bondi's Island"? Locals have said that Luigi Bondi also purchased land in West Springfield surrounded on three sides by water ( Connecticut and Agawam Rivers). These plots of land are guessed to be what was known as Big Island and Hermit Island. Hermit island was also known to some as Little Island or Cambells Island (see map). He had peach trees on the island for his produce business and had plans to make a recreation area one day. As time went on the course of the river may have changed or branches may have been filled in or dried up and the two islands became one. This is the plot of land that Luigi was said to have purchased and is the current location of the SRWTF.
The first wastewater treatment plant was built in 1938-39 and at the time, was a state of the art Primary treatment plant which contributed greatly to the quality of the Connecticut and Chicopee rivers. However it was not until 1960 that all the sewage generated in Springfield went to the treatment facility.
In 1968, the land north west of the treatment plant started being used as a landfill, and by now more of the water being treated at the treatment plant was coming from surrounding communities. As a result of the 1972 Clean Water Act and increased demand being placed on the treatment plant, a new state of the art regional Secondary wastewater treatment facility was put online in 1977 treating the wastewater of Springfield, West Springfield, Longmeadow, Wilbraham, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Agawam and parts of Chicopee.
Since 1988, five other waste management facilities have been established on Bondi's Island. This is a far cry from the recreational park Luigi Bondi had envisioned a century ago, but it is hoped he would advocate the use of his land as a center of environmental protection.
The Six Facilities on Bondi's Island
A Major Effort in Waste ManagementThe words "Bondi's Island" have always been synonymous with the Springfield Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (SRWTF). However, not everyone is aware of the five other facilities which form the environmental complex on that site. Along with the SRWTF; Resource Control Composting, Inc. (RCCI), the Springfield Resource Recovery Facility (SRRF), the Landfill operated by the Springfield DPW, Cover Technologies, Inc., and Phillips Energy make up the area known to all as Bondi's Island.
Approximately one fourth of the sludge produced is composted daily by RCCI, the in-vessel composting operation located on the SRWTF site. The compost is trucked off site where it is further cured and blended with topsoil. It is then beneficially used for soil amendment, landscaping, nurseries or as an alternative for commercial fertilizers.
The SRRF provides solid waste disposal services to ten area communities and private haulers. Up to 408 tons of trash are burned at the facility each day, dramatically reducing the volume of waste that must be buried. The SRRF also recovers energy from the burning trash which is converted to enough electricity to meet the needs of 6000 homes.
The Landfill operated by the Springfield DPW is now limited and no longer accepts sludge from the SRWTF. It is DEP permitted as a monofill to accept ash from the SRRF, grit and screening materials from the SRWTF, and catch basin and sewer cleanings from the DPW Sewer Department. Street sweepings from the surrounding areas are beneficially used as daily cover material for the incinerator ash.
Cover Technologies composts leaf and yard waste from the surrounding communities. Some of the compost is returned to City residents free of charge and some is sold to landscapers. The compost will be for sale in the spring, and 500 cubic yards is distributed to the Springfield Parks Department for residents to pick up. The drop off of yard waste is free to Agawam and Springfield residents, but there is a fee for all other towns.
Phillips Energy/ Springfield Energy collects the landfill gas which is predominantly methane. Methane is a component in the natural gas burned in most homes. Phillips sells the gas to the SRRF for use as fuel in their auxiliary boiler and may soon be selling gas to the SRWTF for use in their RTO.
The rise in population and an increased industry base for this area have prompted dramatic growth of the environ- mental management and recycling industry. Located in close proximity on Bondi's Island, all six facilities can more efficiently cooperate to recycle our precious resources.