New London wants payment for water use at State Pier

Unmetered line was hooked up to cargo ship

New London — The city’s Department of Public Utilities is seeking a payment from State Pier operator Gateway following the discovery of an unmetered water line hooked up to a cargo ship last month.

City officials were tipped off about the use of the water from an anonymous person who snapped a picture of the water line attached to the ship, Yuanning Sea. The Yuanning Sea arrived in New London on Feb. 16 and was the last vessel at the state-owned port for the foreseeable future. It was carrying a shipment of salt.

The tip led to an investigation by city officials and questions about how often the unmetered line, historically a fire service line, was being used.

The explanation is simple, said Gateway President Jim Dillman.

Ships normally fill up with potable water before leaving the port. On this occasion, he said, the normal metered line was frozen and the Yanging Sea filled up with the unmetered line.

The amount of water used was clearly documented and the appropriate amount of money, he estimates to be less than $100, will be paid, Dillman said. He said the amount of water was 114.29 tons, or 27,429 gallons.

Dillman said it was the only ship filled from the unmetered line.

The $100 estimate is in line with what Public Utilities Director Joe Lanzafame estimated during an interview on Monday.

Lanzafame said that without looking at documentation from Gateway, it would be difficult to determine the amount of water being used from the unmetered line. It’s the reason he is asking Gateway to additionally install a meter.

Not only is it not fair to residents paying their water bills, but Lanzafame said it is a matter of documentation. His department is constantly trying to track down unaccounted water — whether it is form customers stealing water or from leaks in the system.

Lanzafame plans to follow up with Gateway in the coming weeks and has set a deadline for payment and for discussion of the installation of the meter.

Dillman said he didn’t see the point in installing a meter since Gateway plans to vacate the premises by the end of the month. Gateway and the tenants of the pier are moving out to make way for the start of the $157 million construction project that is supposed to transform the pier into a wind turbine staging area for offshore wind partners Ørsted and Eversource.

Mayor Michael Passero said he expects the city to be made whole by Gateway without having to resort to any enforcement action.