Waste Water Facilities Update Fall 2023
RIDGEFIELD WASTEWATER FACILTIES UPGRADES – LATE SUMMER 2023 STATUS UPDATE
Overview The WPCA is in the process of updating the Town’s wastewater facilities to address aging equipment and to comply with the requirements of the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) effluent permit limits. These updates are being conducted in two construction projects, the South Street Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Upgrade project and the Route 7 Pump Station Force Main and WWTF Decommissioning project. The benefits of these projects to the residents of Ridgefield include:
- Providing reliable wastewater collection and disposal services, which include a location to accept waste from private septic facilities within the Town, to protect public health, and allow for a vibrant downtown business district.
- Protection of the water bodies in the Town including the Ridgefield Brook, the Great Swamp, and the Norwalk River to maintain these natural resources as assets to the community.
Project Cost and Funding
The current total estimated costs are approximately $56.7 million for both projects which is greater than the initial $48 million cost estimated at the time the project was approved in the 2018 referendum. The increase in costs are a result of higher bid costs and increased construction durations partially due to impacts from Covid-related supply chain issues, labor shortages and other related factors. The original Town funding allocation from the 2018 Public Referendum has not changed. To manage the impact on ratepayers, approximately $2.9M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding was approved at a Fall 2022 Town Meeting to help fund the additional project cost and additional funding has come from the WPCA reserves. As part of the initial planning, and to reduce the cost to the Town, in 2018 the projects were estimated to receive $11.5 million in grant funding with the balance of the costs supported by a low interest rate (2%) loan from the CT DEEP Clean Water Fund. The grant and loan agreement for both projects are in the process of being revised to increase the grant funding. The latest information from the CT DEEP is that the revised grant will be approximately $13.8 million.
Project Status and End Dates
The South Street WWTF Upgrade Project is approximately 90% complete. For the Route 7 Pump Station, Force Main and WWTF Decommissioning Project, approximately 90% of the project force main has been installed and the work on the replacement Route 7 Pump Station began this past summer. The new force main and pump station are expected to be put into service this coming winter followed by the demolition and decommissioning of the Route 7 WWTF. The current projected end dates for both construction projects are in the Spring of 2024. While the projects are behind their original schedules for several reasons, the WPCA continues to push the respective contractors to complete their work as soon as possible.
Town Streets
As part of the Route 7 Pump Station, Force Main and WWTF Decommissioning Project, and in conjunction with the Highway Department’s Annual Road Paving program, all town streets along the force main will be restored with new curb to curb paving once the new force main is installed and tested. This curb-to-curb paving is not only to address the pipe installation trench area but also to upgrade these roads for the benefit of the residents. These paving efforts will be completed on Haviland Road, Limekiln, and Lee Roads in the late Summer 2023. Future curb-to-curb paving is tentatively planned for Farmingville Road, Ligi’s Way and South Street in 2024 upon completion of the work in these areas.
SOUTH ST WWTF UPGRADE PROGRESS PHOTO – SUMMER 2023
LIMEKILN ROAD FINAL PAVEMENT POST FORCE MAIN INSTALLATION – SUMMER 2023