Sewer work is in two spots

NORTH CANAAN — Two construction sites along Route 7 South are now part of a mile-long, sewer expansion project.

Officials of the Canaan Fire District, which operates sewer service to portions of North Canaan, said last week the project to extend the sewer line, and therefore the scope of the fire district, should be completed by the end of October.

The main goal of the $1.4-million project is to provide service to the Mountainside residential  treatment center. There are about 10 neighbors along the way, and most have given their support to the project.

Costs will initially be covered by a grant/loan package from the federal Agricultural Rural Development Program. Property owners who choose to tie in to the sewer line will be assessed a portion of the cost. The bulk will be paid by Mountainside.

Two initial portions of the project involve blasting through two granite ledges on the west side of Route 7, in front of the Becton-Dickinson plant. Blasting will continue until the area is level enough to allow machinery to dig a trench to lay sewer mains. All of the mains will be along the west side of the road, and will cross to a pumping station on the east side of the road.

A sign on the pumping station site, proclaiming the property is approved for a subdivision, is leading to erroneous assumptions that a developer is moving ahead with construction of homes there.

The fire district will eventually use about 6,000 square feet of the property’s lower corner for the pumping station. Additional space has been cleared for a staging area, mainly for storage of pipes.

Most sewer hookups will require a trench across the road to install lateral lines.

Expansion of the fire district was given final approval by residents in March. Fire district officials promised the financial plan will result in no increase in fire district taxes or user fees.