Politics & Government

$277M Clean Water Bond Includes Rocky Hill Sewer Project

Funds to help keep sewers from overflowing into the Connecticut River during major storms.

The State Bond Commission approved $277 million in grants and loans Friday for improvements to regional wastewater treatment systems in six towns across the state, including Rocky Hill.

The package includes $94 million in general obligation bonds for grants and $183 million in revenue bonds for low-interest loans (2 percent over 20 years) through the state’s Clean Water Fund (CWF).

Combined, the projects are expected to create or retain some 5,700 jobs in manufacturing, engineering and construction industries, according to Gov. Dannel Malloy’s office.

“Connecticut’s Clean Water Fund is a model of state and local cooperation that has achieved very real results in protecting our natural resources and improving the quality of life in our state,” Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Rob Klee said. “Through this program we have made investments that benefit all of us now as well as future generations of residents.”

A portion of the funding will go toward construction of a conveyance and storage tunnel for the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) water pollution control facilities in Rocky Hill and Hartford. The tunnel will address a number of issues; most importantly sewage overflow into the Connecticut River after major storm events.

Four other projects were included in the bonding package:

  • Denitrification improvements at the Norwich treatment plant.
  • Pump station improvements to support the consolidation of Middletown’s treatment plant into the Mattabassett District.
  • Continued collection system improvements in the system operated by the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority to eliminate CSOs in New Haven.  
  • Phosphorous removal improvements at the Bristol treatment plant.

The CWF has issued over $2.7 billion in grants and loans since it was established in 1986.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here