Connecticut Receives $580 Million in Grants for Sewer Infrastructure Improvements

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that the State of Connecticut is making a $580 million investment in construction-ready municipal water pollution control projects.

The goal of the projects is to target sewage pollution and help improve water quality, according to the governor's news release.

The projects announced are on the Clean Water Fund Priority List, which is the state’s roadmap for administering state and federal Clean Water Funds.

These funds are spread over two years and include $507 million in state funding supplemented by $73 million in federal funding augmented by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

According to the governor's news release, "the priority list also identifies the use of supplemental BIL funds to provide additional opportunities for sanitary sewer overflow mitigation projects in Connecticut’s distressed communities, which is in line with the state’s policy on environmental equity."

“The projects on this list, infused with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help our cities and towns to properly manage and treat their wastewater, and in turn help make our waterways cleaner,” Governor Lamont said in the news release. “These projects will also mobilize many good-paying jobs and strengthen supply chains as construction gets underway. Modernizing our infrastructure and making our communities more resilient is exactly what President Biden means by, ‘Build Back Better.’”

The funding, according to CT Insider, includes:

$10 million to complete a project to remove nitrogen from wastewater at New Haven’s Water Pollution Control Facility;
$75 million to address storm and sanitary sewers lines in New Haven’s Orchard Street, Yale and Trumbull Street neighborhoods as well as the East Street pump station;
$38 million to replace an outfall line at the West Haven sewage plant;
$7 million to upgrade the Litchfield plant; And
$10 million has been approved to permanently close a small sewage treatment facility in Ridgefield.

Additionally, the largest single award will be $156 million for an upgrade of Norwich’s Water Pollution Control Facility, (in aggregate), the MDA will receive more funding, which is a total of $279 million for projects in Hartford, East Hartford and Rocky Hill, reported CT Insider.

“These vital investments illustrate the importance of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funding water infrastructure and pollution control projects that will have a lasting positive impact on Connecticut’s environment and residents,” the members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation said in a joint statement, reported the news release. “Not only will these projects improve wastewater management systems across the state and protect our state’s waterways, they will also create good construction jobs for Connecticut residents. Our delegation is proud to have fought for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that helps make projects like these possible.”

“Thanks to the funding infusion coming to us through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’ve been able to expand our priority list to include more projects that will improve our state’s water quality,” Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Properly managing our wastewater and ensuring we have sufficient infrastructure to do so is an essential part of being good stewards of our environment. These projects will help to keep our waterways clean and contribute to the beauty and health of our natural resources and the incredible quality of life we enjoy in Connecticut.”

In total, the priority list will support 18 construction ready projects with an approximate total cost of $580 million and offer approximately $245 million for projects eligible for reserve category funding. Funding is also available to municipalities and municipalities in partnership for resiliency and green infrastructure projects related to wastewater collection, conveyance, and treatment.

Additionally, dedicated reserves are now open for:

Project planning and design work;
Collection system projects (including inflow/infiltration reduction and pump station rehabilitation);
Green Infrastructure projects; And
Resiliency projects.

Municipalities can submit applications for these reserve funds through the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Municipalities interested in learning more should visit the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Clean Water Fund Financial Assistance webpage for details and applications, and for further information are encouraged to contact [email protected].