Water treatment plant in line for upgrades

Susan Danseyar, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read

Aug. 9—SOMERS — The Water Pollution Control Authority is in line for federal funding that could go toward substantial upgrades at its wastewater treatment facility.

If approved, the $945,000 grant would help pay for improvements at the Quality Avenue treatment facility. Matt Jermine of Weston & Sampson, the contractor Somers is working with on the treatment facility project, estimates the necessary upgrades will cost about $1 million. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has approved the town working with Weston and Sampson.

Daniel Parisi, WPCA superintendent, said the grant money would help improve water quality in the Scantic River while avoiding the need to place a large cost burden on taxpayers.

Plans call for a complete modernization of the 40-year-old treatment facility.

First Selectman Timothy R.E. Keeney said that, if approved, the state-of-the-art remodeling of the facility would meet state and federal discharge standards.

The work would include replacing electric pumps to control the system, upgrading underground pipes, and digging up and replacing the sand filter beds.

There are six filter beds, four of which have not been replaced since 1978 and two have not been replaced since 2008, he said.

For comparison, Keeney said it costs about $30,000 to replace a standard septic system for an individual home. The water treatment plant, which is a far more complex system than a residential septic tank, has 346 houses feeding into it, he said.

Upgrades at the treatment plant are also required to keep it in line with the federal Clean Water Act.

DEEP would not be requiring the overhaul of the treatment facility if chemicals had not been put on area tobacco crops for years, Keeney said. The chemicals contaminated the groundwater, he said.

"The Somers WPCA believes that clean water is a resource, which all of us share and must be protected," said Parisi.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, requested funding in late July for a number of eastern Connecticut projects, including the wastewater treatment plant in Somers.

The WPCA won't know if or how much grant money they might receive until November or December, after the federal budget for next fiscal year is adopted, Parisi said. The federal fiscal year starts on Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30 of the following calendar year.

For more coverage of Somers and Enfield, follow Susan Danseyar on Twitter: @susandanseyar, Facebook: Susan Danseyar, reporter.