West Cornwall sewer project aired at forum

CORNWALL — A town-wide informational forum on the proposed West Cornwall wastewater project was held on Saturday, June 11, featuring a summary report and comments from residents.

“We are talking about the future of our town,” First Selectman Gordon Ridgway said at the outset, noting that the 2020 Town Plan of Conservation and Development stipulates that the issue of wastewater treatment in West Cornwall be addressed.

A letter from Catherine Weber of the Torrington Area Health District was read aloud by Ridgway. Weber framed the issue and wrote in support of the project and the need to address the septic situations in many of West Cornwall’s residences located in the core area.

Resident and business owner Ian Ingersoll reported that with questionable septic arrangements, only a dwindling number of village buildings can be developed commercially. Past generations experienced West Cornwall as a bustling commercial area.

Having examined a wide range of septic processing alternatives, Ingersoll said, the decision seemed appropriate to pursue a bio-membrane filter system to be housed in a compact building the size of a two-car garage, that operates quietly and emits no odor. Ridgway indicated that most likely the design of the little building would be that of an old accessory barn blending with the area’s appearance.

Engineer Stephen McDonnell of WMC Engineers in Newington has served as a consultant to the wastewater committee.

“Due to small lot sizes and water wells near the existing septic systems, the majority of systems do not meet current health code nor do they meet Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) standards,” McDonnell said.

The best solution for West Cornwall, he said, is an off-site sewage treatment system that will discharge treated water into the Housatonic River. After treatment, the effluent to be discharged would be of drinking water quality, thanks to modern system design.

McDonnell noted that an estimated 12,000 gallons of treated water would be discharged daily after treatment.

After six years of study by town officials and regular monthly meetings of a volunteer group, the project  was developed and funding was sought, estimated to cost a total of $6.2 million. Following news of a $3 million federal grant,  a calendar was set for meetings leading to a referendum vote on the project.

Board of Finance Chairman Joe Pryor said that the work of his board is to determine whether the project is financially viable for the town. He noted that $3.2 million would need to be borrowed, based on current estimates.  Debt service on a 20-year loan would amount to around $200,000 annually, or for a 40-year borrowing period, about $140,000 to $160,000 annually.

One resident expressed concern that the cost estimates might be low. McDonnell described his estimates as conservative. Ridgway said the system would be identical to the system installed at Salisbury School and it would accommodate expansion as needed should future businesses or homeowners want to hook into it.

A one-time hook-up fee would be due at the beginning, and there would be an annual use fee for those who use the service.

“We are not requiring people to hook on but it will be an incentive for those who are on the fence,” Ridgway said.

To other residents’ questions, Ridgway noted that the town is not presently under any DEEP order to fix the existing situation, but problems could arise if present systems were to fail.

“If we postpone, the $3 million grant funding will go away,” Ridgway added.

The forum was held on Zoom, with 58 participants.

Details can be viewed on the town website at www.cornwallct.org.

The town meeting will be held on Saturday, June 25, at Cornwall Consolidated School, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The town meeting will then adjourn to a referendum vote scheduled for Saturday, July 9, at Town Hall. Polls will be open between noon and 8 p.m.