West Cornwall sewer project testing, surveying resumes

Members of the Wastewater Management Project in West Cornwall Village Construction Committee identified the lot between the post office and the design studio as a feasible location for the treatment plant more than two years ago.

Riley Klein

West Cornwall sewer project testing, surveying resumes

CORNWALL — Ground testing and surveying around the site of the proposed wastewater treatment center in West Cornwall resumed in November.

WMC Engineers, a consulting firm working with the town on the project, began boring the areas where sewer lines could be located this month. The plans were discussed at a meeting of the Wastewater Management Project in West Cornwall Village Construction Committee Nov. 12.

The proposed site of the treatment plant is in the rear of the plot between the post office and the design studio on Route 128 in West Cornwall.

WMC bored the property in 2023 and found the land feasible for the project. The private landowner has verbally agreed to allow the town to build the treatment plant on the property, likely through an easement and long-term lease.

WMC Engineer Steve McDonnell said the 2024 surveyors are looking for bedrock beneath roads in the service area and will only be drilling about six feet deep.

“The sewers are very shallow,” said McDonnell, noting the proposed low-pressure system allows for “small diameter” piping.

The WMC crew is using a truck-mounted drilling rig “on the state route (128) and also a couple of the side roads in the service area,” said McDonnell.

WMC’s survey is expected to be completed by December and will gauge the total amount of ground material that needs to be removed for the project. Once determined, design of the treatment plant and piping network can begin.

McDonnell estimated the designs will be finalized by spring 2025. The permitting process that follows will take an additional six to nine months before construction can begin. “I’m excited to get this thing moving ahead,” said McDonnell.

Latest News

Initial lab results negative for biological agents in BD package

State, local and federal officials responded to a "hazmat incident" at the Becton, Dickinson and Company facility in the afternoon Thursday, May 15.

Photo by Riley Klein

Updated Friday, May 16:

The Becton, Dickinson and Company facility in North Canaan remains closed as of Friday, May 16, due to hazmat response protocol.

Two employees who opened a suspicious package were hospitalized yesterday as a precaution. They have since been released.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sunset gazing on Tory Hill
Photo by Nathan Miller

Anna Amachowski and Steve Wilcox of Canaan enjoyed the sunset and some grilled chicken from the top of Tory Hill outside Sharon on Thursday, May 1. They were welcoming in the warm breezes of spring with some fishing and some ridgeline views at the end of a warm evening.

Amachowski and Wilcox's dog, Chuy, enjoyed a soft spot of cool grass and the view over the ridge.Photo by Nathan Miller

Celebration of Life: Michael R. Tesoro, M.D.

Please join us for a Celebration of Life to honor Michael R. Tesoro M.D. (May 20, 1941-—Dec. 25, 2024) whose vibrant spirit touched so many. We will gather on May 17 at 11:30 a.,m. at Trinity Lime Rock to remember Michael’s life with love and laughter.

A light fare reception to immediately follow at the church’s Walker Hall.

Keep ReadingShow less
Keith Raven Johnson

SHARON — Keith Raven Johnson, a long-time resident of Sharon, died on April 26, 2025, a month after his 90th birthday, at Geer Rehabilitation and Long -Term Care facility in Canaan.

He was born on March 21, 1935, in Ithaca, New York, the son of John Raven Johnson and Hope Anderson Johnson.

Keep ReadingShow less