Federal funding might go to sewers
BROOKFIELD — With the influx of roughly $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, the town may try to solve one of its major sewer problems with COVID relief money, instead of digging into its own coffers.
A sewer line extension is needed at Dean and Pocono Road, on the shores of Candlewood Lake, and in the old Brookfield marketplace area across the Still River, according to Nelson Malwitz, chairman of the Brookfield Water Pollution Control Authority. But he’s requested the APRA money for the first phase of the project — a line by the old marketplace.
The lack of sewer system affects nine low-lying properties by the old marketplace across the Still River, including the historic Brookfield Craft Center.
After citing the area’s “environmental health and safety challenges,” Malwitz informed the Board of Selectmen at a meeting Monday that the system design is complete for a sewer line in this area, and a final cost estimate is in the works before the project goes out to bid this month. Malwitz has asked for about $800,000 to cover the roughly $1 million project.
The proposal will be vetted by the ARPA Ad Hoc Committee before the group presents to the selectmen in February.
Property owners would likely cover the remaining costs
— generally paying a percentage of the grand list value, which historically hits around 10 percent, Malwitz said.
“Their septic systems are ancient,” Malwitz said. “We’ve had sewer projects on the drawing boards since the mid-‘90s.”
Brookfield’s health director and sanitarian strongly recommend the town pursue the project. The existing septic systems are unable to filter out nutrients that are getting into the soil and contaminating the surrounding environment. The properties are also close to the Still River, which means the contamination could eventually make its way to local bodies of water.
State Rep. Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, called the issue “critically important.”
While the town is fixing up the nearby Town Center District, Malwitz added this infrastructure should be considered a part of that local improvement project.
Cost has been a major barrier, but now the town has the funds to cover a project like this, he said.
Under the federal COVID relief fund rules, towns are able to use the money for specific infrastructure improvements, including “necessary investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure.” A new sewer line fits nicely into these regulations.
While committee Chairman Colette Sturm could not comment on any specific proposals, she said there was a sewer proposal brought before the committee and it does meet the ARPA requirements.
Overall, the committee has received 23 requests from committees, boards and residents. It has also received 272 responses to a public survey sent out in early November.
The sewer extension issue was deemed both a public health and environmental problem. Harding said it could affect the town economically, as well, if businesses face difficulties and setbacks due to the sewer systems.
On a scale of one to 10, Malwitz ranked the area a seven, calling the problem “pretty severe.”
“You can’t just keep doing it, you can’t live like this,” he said of Brookfield’s current sewage practices.
Other projects
Brookfield’s sewer problems and the hefty cost they may incur do not stop there. Two other areas in town — Dean and Pocono Roads, and the Candlewood Lake shores, are also in dire need of an extended sewer line to service residents.
A big focus lies on bodies of water around the Brookfield area, including the Still River, Candlewood Lake and Lake Lillinonah, which are affected by the lack of modern sewer systems. While existing septic systems can eliminate biological waste on these properties, they are unable to filter out nutrients that can eventually contaminate bodies of water and even drinking water.
The Candlewood Lake shores sewer line extension, which affects roughly 1,200 properties, combined with the Dean and Pocono Roads project, have a big price tag: around $30 million.
Malwitz said all three areas are important to address, but only the plan for the old marketplace area is ready to go out to bid.
However, the town secured state money for $1.5 million to study both the Candlewood Peninsula and Dean and Pocono Road areas. Earlier this year, Harding tried unsuccessfully to push through legislation that would lessen the financial burden of a much-needed sewer line at Dean and Pocono Roads.
State grants for dealing with local wastewater needs are available through its Clean Water Fund program thanks to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Estimates from two years ago pegged the Dean and Pocono Roads project between $1.5 million and $3 million, with assessments ranging between 8 and 16 percent of the total value of affected properties. The hope was that a state grant could help cover some of this cost.
Harding said he would bring the issue back during the next legislative session.
Meanwhile, Candlewood Lake is at risk of closing, at least temporarily, in the future if the contamination isn’t addressed. There are high concentrations of nitrates and chemicals that can’t be broken down by biological processes, among other pollutants.
“This year we had the most town beach closures we’ve ever had,” Malwitz said.
He added that there was an unusual algae bloom in December of last year, a strange occurrence for that month, which was the result of contamination.
“For the future for our children it would be a real shame if it came to that,” said First Selectman Tara Carr of shutting down Candlewood Lake. “That is not something we can just let happen.”
To use ARPA or not to use ARPA
Malwitz anticipates a positive outcome for the ARPA request to address the old marketplace’s sewer needs.
“Really, the ball is in the court of the selectmen,” he said. “I think it will be successful. It’s a little hard to decline.”
If the request is denied, Malwitz plans to ask the town to pay for the extension by the downtown area, “because it needs to be done,” he said.
A new sewer line would be “barely noticeable,” according to Malwitz, because most of it would be underground. There might be a few pumps visible, but most of the hardware will be inconspicuous.
Harding agreed with Malwitz, calling the proposal a “wise and prudent use of the funds.” He also praised the WPCA chairman’s hard work getting the sewer lines the attention they need.
“[Malwitz’s] work and his efforts and his leadership, I think, have helped foster the conversation about the necessity of the sewer line,” he said.