Sewage treatment isn’t cheap and the city’s still trying to modernize its two facilities processing sludge from an antiquated infrastructure.
The City Council Monday night at 7 at City Hall, according to the posted agenda, will take up a Budget and Appropriations Committee report approving financing of $90,370,000 for the design, rehabilitation, upgrading and construction of various renovations and improvements to the East Side and West Side wastewater treatment plants.
The city has been trying for years to negotiate a regional sewer authority with the town of Trumbull to lessen the financial load on taxpayers and ratepayers. Mayor Bill Finch and Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst, not the best of buds, have been unable to negotiate a deal that works for both communities for creation of an independent authority that would buy the wastewater assets of the respective communities through bonding power authorized by state legislation. Trumbull’s wastewater is processed in Bridgeport.
Regional authorities are also more likely to attract state and federal dollars for improvement upgrades. As the city tries to attract new development, what flows underground (wastewater) can be equally important as what’s built above ground for structural needs.
Meanwhile, the city has a massive infrastructure to maintain, supervised by the local Water Pollution Control Authority that issues bills for usage. So you get a tax bill and a water usage bill. Someone has to pay to process all that poop. And for all those suburban communities that have septic systems, where do ya think their waste is pumped out for processing? Yup, Bridgeport.
Yes, Bridgeport’s sewage system … “getting better every day.”
Regular septic tank pumping is an essential component of proper maintenance because failing to do so can cause major issues that result in a costly, hazardous situation. How often you’ll need to get septic tank servicing near me will depend on the tank’s size and the number of occupants in the home.
Full council agenda here.
How much is the Town of Trumbull contributing toward the substantial cost of these improvements, which also benefit its residents and businesses? The City Council should refuse to approve the project unless Trumbull pays for its share of the costs.
Trumbull and Monroe should start looking into their own treatment plant and get away from Bridgeport as fast as they can. What Trumbull and Monroe would need is a plant somewhere between 15 to 20 MGP day and a receiving river stream like the Pequonnack River or Mill River, or both to handle the flows.
Bridgeport and the Finch Cartel are not dealing straight with the people of Trumbull now, so what would it be like five or ten years from today? Just more blackmail BS and another authority headed by Paul Timpanelli and the Finch Cartel. If the taxpayers of Trumbull and Monroe want to build their communities they need to avoid Bridgeport at all cost.
Lennie, Phil and Jim,
I believe you will find the following factual, at least my cursory investigation suggests:
1) The original format and bid for WPCA improvements in 1983 is still used as the City has never used up to the $90 or $105 Million authorized. An incinerator and other equipment was to be funded but became non priority for the State and never built so funding for the entire system remains available and not yet expended. (How much is not provided in this paperwork, unfortunately, but that is not unusual when the City sends something to the Council for approval.)
2. Storms Irene and Sandy did damage and work needs to be done on the system to mitigate storms like this in the future. This is a new whereas on pages 2-3 and pages 7-8. This was pointed out to me by WPCA director Robinson. (It is not easy to understand documents sent by the City to the Council or its committees and they should have an Executive Summary each time with actual amounts to be spent, borrowed, etc.)
3. I am not sure the exact numbers paid by Trumbull to WPCA at this time, but whatever the number is, in addition they pay for their own department and any capital improvements they make in Trumbull. This is part of the entire system but Bridgeport ratepayers do not share that cost, while they share in our costs. Fair? Not fair? Time will tell.