Bunker Hill Water Main and Sewer Extension

3. Notice of Scoping for the Watertown Water Main and Sewer Extension

Note: The following project was originally scoped in two parts. The Sewer Extension Notice of Scoping was published on February 7, 2017 and the Bunker Hill Water Main Extension Notice of Scoping was published on April 4, 2017. The following notice is being published because the projects are proposed to be implemented simultaneously; however, no changes are proposed to either part of the project.

Municipality where proposed project might be located: Watertown

Addresses of Possible Project Locations: Bunker Hill Road, Lexington Drive, Concord Drive, Cornwall Drive, Lake Winnemaug, and Farmdale Road & Barnes Road

Project Description: The Town of Watertown is proposing a water main and sewer extension project to serve the residential homes located in four areas including the Concord Drive area, the Cornwall Drive area, the Lake Winnemaug area, and the Farmdale and Barnes Road area to address documented areas of potable water quantity and quality problems and repeated septic system failures with limited reserve areas. The entire water and sewer project is proposed to be undertaken in four phases. Phase 1, the only Phase for which the Town is seeking financial assistance, includes the Lexington Drive and Concord Drive Area as shown in the maps accompanying this notice of scoping. The water main extension project is supported in the most recent Water Supply Plan dated December 2009 with revisions dated February 2015 approved by the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the sewer extension is supported in the Facilities Plan/Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) submitted to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Phase 1 is the only portion of the project proposed to be constructed at this time. Sewer and water mains for the project area extension will be sized to accommodate the existing homes in the project area, but with reserved capacity for future water main and sanitary sewer extensions to other properties in future potential extension areas that have or may develop similar identified water pollution and documented potable water quality and quantity problems.

A number of private wells in the project area were identified in the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) as having drinking water that contains E. Coli., coliform bacteria, and traces of methyl tertiary butyl ether. There are several wells located around the Lake Winnemaug area that do not conform to the current sanitary separation distances to probable sources of pollution established in Section 19-13-B51d of the Public Health Code. In response to a questionnaire distributed by Watertown Water and Sewer Staff, area residents reported water quantity issues during the summer of 2016 including low recharge rates and periods of loss of water. Forty eight percent of surveyed residents indicated that their well had gone dry at least once. As noted in the letter dated July 14, 2014 from the Torrington Area Health District, the proposed water main and sewer extension is being supported by the health district.

Some of this water quality deterioration has been attributed to substandard septic systems installed on small lots with shallow bedrock, poor quality soils and seasonal high ground water as documented by TAHD. The recommended action in the PER is to extend a water main to the project area to provide a safe and adequate drinking water supply and allow the homeowners to properly abandon the on-site private wells. The Town is also extending its existing sewer system to serve the project area in order to address the water quality problems currently arising from failing and sub-standard private septic systems.

Several options to resolve the water quality and quantity issues were evaluated including redevelopment of existing wells (hydrofracking), deepening of wells, individual treatment installation (point of use), and installation of a stand-alone community water system. Based on sanitarian records and public statements made by residents, many septic fields in the expansion area have failed repeatedly, reserve areas have been used up and variances issued by the sanitarian have been used to keep the existing septic systems functioning as best as they can, yet failures still exist. Because of the area’s proximity to centralized public water and sewer infrastructure, challenges presented with existing small lots and the restrictive environmental factors limiting septic system repair sites, the alternative of extending public water mains and sewer and abandoning the on-site drinking water wells and septic systems was determined to be the most economical action to achieve the desired public health and environmental benefit.

Watertown is currently seeking financial assistance in the form of low interest loans under the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program administered by the DPH to cover the project cost for the extension of water main and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund administered by the DEEP to cover the cost of the sewer extension under Phase 1. The Town conducted a public hearing on the proposed project on August 16, 2016 and a referendum on November 8, 2016 where the Town’s voters approved a bond resolution committing funds to the proposed project. Approximately 89 residential homes currently served by compromised septic systems and/or private wells with water quality and quantity issues will receive safe and adequate drinking water. The proposed Concord Drive area water main extension project will comprise of installation of new water main that will be connected to the existing distribution main of the Watertown Water and Sewer Authority located near the intersection of Bunker Hill Road and Davis Street Extension. The water main has been minimally sized to provide adequate domestic water supply and satisfy fire protection requirements specified by the Town Fire Marshall for all four phases of the project. The proposed sewer project is designed to only serve those areas in need at this time. However, it is sized to ensure that the facility is adequate to serve additional areas (Phases 2 through 4) if they are found to be experiencing similar problems with water quality and quantity concerns as well as septic system failures. Therefore, the potential for the ultimate wastewater flow that could be contributed through this sewer was reviewed; and, if conditions warrant expansion in the future, the sewer would not need to be replaced because it was undersized.

Project Maps: Click here to view a map of the proposed water main extension.

Click here to view a map of the proposed sewer extension.

Click here to view a map of the potential future phases of the sewer project.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: July 6, 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 sponsoring agency shall schedule a Public Scoping Meeting. Such requests must be made by June 16, 2017.

Written comments and/or requests for a Public Scoping Meeting should be sent to:

Mr. Eric McPhee

Department of Public Health

Drinking Water Section

410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS

PO Box 340308

Hartford, CT 06134-0308

860-509-7359

DPH.SourceProtection@ct.gov

If you have questions about the public meeting, or other questions about the scoping for this project, contact:

Patricia Bisacky