2. Notice of Scoping for Ridgefield Route 7 Wastewater Treatment Facility Decommission and Construction of new Pump Station & Force Main to South Street Wastewater Treatment Facility
Municipality where proposed project would be located: Ridgefield, CT
Address of Project Location: South Street Plant: 22 South Street. Route 7 Plant: 9101 Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7).
Project Description: The Phase 1 and Phase 2 Wastewater Facilities Plan for the Town of Ridgefield, Connecticut proposes reconfiguration of the town’s wastewater treatment infrastructure. The project is being undertaken to address aging and worn equipment and structures at the Town’s two treatment facilities that are reaching the end of their service life, as well as new, more stringent effluent limits. The Town is proposing to decommission the smaller of two wastewater treatment facilities (Route 7 Wastewater Treatment Facility) and consolidate treatment operations to the other larger facility (South Street Wastewater Treatment Facility). This involves the demolition of the decommissioned facility, and installation of a force main and pump station to convey flow from the smaller facility to the larger facility. The facilities plan also includes the potential to expand the South Street WWTF sewer service area by approximately 90 acres and approximately 126 parcels based on an assessment of potential future sewer needs to address public health concerns with two areas of existing development. The South Street facility treatment processes would be upgraded to comply with the anticipated facility effluent limits, as well as to handle the flow from the decommissioned facility and potential additional sewered areas. The anticipated effluent limits for the upgraded facility are based on the facilities existing NPDES permit and direction from the CT DEEP that some effluent limits will be more stringent to account for the additional flow.
Ridgefield is currently seeking financial assistance under the Clean Water Fund (CWF) program to cover the project cost for the pump station and force main. The Route 7 Pump Station and force main would qualify for the 20% water pollution control grant for eligible cost since they can be viewed as treatment elements due to the fact that they are an alternative to upgrading the Route 7 WWTF. This would result in improved treatment of the wastewater from Sewer District No. 2 as the South Street WWTF would produce an effluent of higher quality.
Two force main alternatives between the new Route 7 Pump Station to the South Street WWTF were developed and evaluated. The proposed alternative routes are: Alternative 1- Existing Route 7 WWTF Force Main, Cross Country by the Water Tank, Route 35 “Route 35 Route”, and Alternative 2- Route 7, Haviland Road, Limekiln Road, Lee Road, Farmingville Road Route “Local Road Route”. The final route has yet to chosen and is still under review. Construction is anticipated to begin in the Spring 2019 and be complete by Fall of 2021. Due to the increased hydraulic capacity to the South Street WWTF, an EIE is warranted and is currently in the process of being drafted.
Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: June 1, 2017.
Any person can ask the sponsoring agency to hold a Public Scoping Meeting by sending such a request to the address below. If a meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, the Department of Environmental Protection will schedule a Public Scoping Meeting. Such requests must be made by May 12, 2017.
Written comments and/or requests for a Public Scoping Meeting should be sent to:
| Maxwell Fan | |
| Department of Energy & Environmental Protection | |
| Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse | |
| Address: | 79 Elm St. Hartford CT 06106-5127 |
| Phone: | (860) 424-3670 |
| Fax: | (860) 424-4067 |
| E-Mail: | maxwell.fan@ct.gov |
If you have questions about a public meeting, or other questions about the scoping for this project, contact Mr. Fan as directed above.
The agency expects to release an Environmental Impact Evaluation for this project, for public review and comment later this year.