City of Norwich

Notice of Tentative Determination to Approve an NPDES Permit Renewal

The Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“Department” or “DEEP”) hereby gives notice that a tentative determination has been reached to approve the following application.  The Commissioner also gives notice that a hearing may be held on this permit if the Commissioner determines that the public interest will best be served thereby or shall hold a hearing upon receipt of a petition as described below.

Application No.: 202410890

Applicant’s Name and Address: City of Norwich, 16 South Golden Street

Contact Name/Phone/Email: Christopher LaRose, 860-823-4173, chrislarose@npumail.com

Type of Permit and Permit No.:    NPDES Renewal – CT0100412

Type of Facility:  Domestic Wastewater Treatment

Facility Location: 44 Falls Avenue, Norwich CT 06360

Facility Design Capacity: 8.5 million gallons per day

Receiving Waters: Thames River & Yantic River

COMMISSIONER’S FINDINGS/REGULATORY CONDITIONS
The applicant has previously received a permit from the Department authorizing the discharge of up to an annual average daily design flow of 8.5 million gallons per day of secondary treated municipal wastewaters to the Thames River & Yantic River.  The applicant has submitted an application to renew its existing permit.  This renewal application is the subject of this notice. 

THE DRAFT PERMIT
The Department has prepared a draft permit consistent with the tentative determination to approve the City of Norwich’s renewal application.  This draft is available on the public participation section of the Department’s website.  In accordance with Sections 22a-430-4(l) and 22a-430-4(r) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RCSA), the draft permit contains effluent limitations that meet Connecticut’s Water Quality Standards for the following: 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5),  flow, pH, total residual chlorine (TRC), total suspended solids (TSS), fecal coliform, enterococci, and ultraviolet light disinfection dose following the completion of the ongoing facility upgrades. 

INFORMATION REQUESTS/PUBLIC COMMENT
This application has been assigned No. 202410890; please use this number when corresponding with DEEP regarding this application.  Interested persons may obtain a copy of the application from the applicant’s contact noted above through appointment only.  Electronic copies of the application and supporting documentation can be provided to interested persons via email.  Any such requests for electronic documents may be directed to Jueda Shytko of the Municipal Wastewater group at 860-424-3707 or jueda.shytko@ct.gov. 

Before making a final decision on this application, the Commissioner shall consider written comments on the application from interested persons.  Written comments on the application should be directed to the staff person indicated above no later than thirty (30) days from the publication date of this notice.  Written comments may also be submitted in paper form to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, located at 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106.  In this submittal, please identify the name of the staff assigned to the application, the permit application number and your phone number and/or email address to facilitate responses to your comments.  You may contact the staff person identified in this notice with any questions you may have.

PETITIONS FOR HEARING
The Commissioner may conduct a public hearing if the Commissioner determines that the public interest will best be served thereby or shall hold a hearing upon receipt of a petition signed by at least twenty-five persons.  Petitions for a hearing shall be submitted within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this public notice and should include the application number(s) noted above and also identify a contact person to receive notifications.  Petitions may also identify a person who is authorized to engage in discussions regarding the application and, if resolution is reached, withdraw the petition.

The Office of Adjudications will accept electronically filed petitions for hearing in addition to those submitted by mail or hand delivered.  Petitions with required signatures may be sent to deep.adjudications@ct.gov; those mailed or delivered should go to the DEEP Office of Adjudications, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106.  If the signed original petition is only in an electronic format, the petition must be submitted with a statement signed by the petitioner that the petition exists only in that form.  Original petitions that were filed electronically must also be mailed or delivered to the Office of Adjudications within 10 days of electronic submittal.  

All petitions must be received within the comment period noted above.  If a hearing is held, timely notice of such hearing will be published in a newspaper of general circulation and posted on the DEEP website at https://www.ct.gov/deep/adjudications.

/s/ Nisha Patel
Nisha Patel, P.E., Director
Water Planning and Management Division
Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse

Published in the Norwich Bulletin on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

ADA PUBLICATION STATEMENT
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact jueda.shytko@ct.gov if you are seeking a communication aid or service, have limited proficiency in English, or require some other accommodation. If you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint, you may submit your complaint to the DEEP Office of Diversity and Equity at (860) 418-5910 or via email at deep.accommodations@ct.gov. In order to facilitate efforts to provide an accommodation, please request all accommodations as soon as possible following notice of any agency hearing, meeting, program or event.

Draft Permit
Fact Sheets