Notice of Public Hearing October 13, 2021: Proposed Sewer Ordinance Amendments
GREATER NEW HAVEN WATER POLLUTION
CONTROL AUTHORITY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
2021 GNHWPCA Environmental Stewardship Award
Frank Panzarella honored with the 2021 Environmental Stewardship Award
The Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority (GNHWPCA) has recognized Frank Panzarella for his service to the community and the environment with the first annual GNHWPCA Environmental Stewardship Award.
Frank, as part of the New Haven Bioregional Group, has provided training through demonstrations of installations and best practices for controlling stormwater pollution. Frank and the New Haven Bioregional Group have given out over 300 rain barrels in the last few years. Frank has been doing this work with the GNHWPCA for the last 5 years. Vice Chairman Clayton Williams said, “This is a well-deserved recognition for a person who is engaged in so many other aspects of the community and he finds the time to improve the environment.” Sid Holbrook, Executive Director said, “Frank exemplifies the type of work that brings together the environmental, social and economic wellbeing of the greater New Haven area.” Franks devotion to the rain barrel program can be seen in his YouTube animation video of “The Rain Barrel Song”. The Rain Barrel Song – Animation
In keeping with the GNHWPCA Mission and Strategic Plan goals which support Green Infrastructure through community activities, education, and implementation, the GNHWPCA recognizes individuals, groups and organizations that provide environmental stewardship in our region by working to improve the water quality.
Notice of Cancellation: September 15, 2021 Regular Meeting of the GNHWPCA
Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority
Notice of Cancellation
The regular meeting of the GNHWPCA scheduled for September 15, 2021 has been canceled.
Link: Notice of Cancellation
COVID-19 Important information for our customers
COVID-19 – Important Information for our customers
We are taking precautions so we can continue to serve
We are closely monitoring guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local public health agencies on the appropriate preparations and response to potential impacts from the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
Accordingly, we are taking precautions related to COVID-19 to protect the health and safety of employees, customers, and the community while continuing to provide safe wastewater collection and treatment for our service area. Here is what you need to know:
* Promoting health and safety for everyone.
Effective through August 2, 2021, unless further noticed, we will be closing the administrative offices located at 260 East Street, New Haven. The purpose of closing the office is to limit potential person to person spread of the virus. Our 24/7 sanitary sewer emergency hotline at 203-466-5260 will remain available.
* Paying your bill.
Walk-in payments and customer services are suspended until further notice. You can pay your wastewater bill via one of the remote methods established by the GNHWPCA which include online, over the phone, or by mail.
* Plan/Development reviews.
Plan reviews can be submitted on-line only, email: Engineering@GNHWPCA.com. Walk-ins, drop-offs, and mailed submissions will not be accepted at this time.
* Reminders.
ONLY FLUSH TOILET PAPER, PEE AND POO – Think twice after the use disinfecting wipes and DO NOT FLUSH them, or any other paper products besides toilet paper, down the toilet. “Flushable” wipes are NOT flushable. They are the #1 cause of sewer backups in your system. Wipes labeled as “flushable” and other products such as paper towels, Kleenex, cotton swabs, etc., do not break down and cause clogs in sewer systems creating costly repairs.
Examples of what should NOT be flushed down toilets or poured down drains are as follows:
- Cloth rags or towels
- Baby wipes, toilet wipes, towelettes, disinfecting wipes, or cloth wipes of any kind (even if the container indicates that they are “flushable”)
- Paper (other than toilet paper/tissue)
- Medications prescription, or over the counter
- Feminine hygiene products of any kind
- Beauty products, Q-tips, dental floss
- Plastic of any kind
- Grease of any kind-especially cooking grease
- Garden supplies (such as pesticides, fertilizers)
- Paint, Varnish, paint remover
- Motor oil, gasoline, or any explosive material
All the above items mentioned should be disposed of in the trash or other proper disposal methods. Remember…only water, human waste and tissue paper should be flushed down toilets. Clogged sewers and pumps lead to sewer backups into homes and are expensive to clean and repair. The cost of this cleanup is on the resident and the rate payers.
* Latest known facts about the virus related to wastewater treatment.
According to the Water Environment Federation, “Currently, there is no evidence on the survival of COVID-19 virus in drinking water or wastewater.” While studies of other virus strains indicate they can be found in untreated wastewater, standard municipal wastewater system disinfection practices, including chlorination, are effective in controlling the virus provided utilities monitor and maintain required disinfection levels during treatment. GNHWPCA continuously monitors disinfection levels in treated wastewater to ensure compliance with public and environmental health standards.
As new developments emerge regarding the coronavirus, we will update our website and communicate with you about how we can continue to operate safely and effectively.
Take care,
GNHWPCA Executive Team
Adopted Sewer User Charge & Annual Budget Effective July 1, 2021
Infiltration & Inflow Reduction: East Haven & Hamden
Construction Alerts
Infiltration & Inflow Reduction: East Haven & Hamden
This project involves investigating and rehabilitating existing pipes and manholes on Middle Thorpe Dr and Upper Thorpe Dr Areas. The rehabilitation will be done using trenchless technologies to minimize impacts on the neighborhoods and traveling public.
Click link to learn more: Hamden/East Haven Rehabilitation Project Construction Notice
GNHWPCA Statement in Response to STS Filing
News & Notices
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2021
Contact:
Gary Zrelak, gzrelak@gnhwpca.com
PRESS RELEASE – STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO STS FILING
The Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority (“the Authority”) is disappointed that Save the Sound (STS) is suing the Authority on the basis of a sewage spill caused by the collapse of one of our sewage collection pipes. This past July 2020, while preparing to replace a sewer main along Whitney Avenue, Hamden, a section of that pipe collapsed allowing sewage to spill into the Mill River. The line was isolated within 29 hours and sewage redirected to the system so that no additional spill could occur. State and local officials were quickly notified and informed the public in accordance with the law. Post spill monitoring of the Mill River, the confluence of the Mill and Quinnipiac Rivers and Long Island Sound showed no long term increased bacterial levels in the days following the spill.
The Authority has a robust policy of strategic and systematic operations, maintenance and improvements which are well documented since its regionalization in 2005. The service area consists of the municipalities of East Haven, New Haven, Hamden, and Woodbridge. The Authority’s service area consists of 550 miles of pipe, some dating back to the 1800’s, 30 pump stations, and a recently upgraded sewage treatment plant that collects and treats an average of 10 billion gallons of sewage annually. The Authority has many tools to manage the system such as a Capacity, Management, Operation and Maintenance (CMOM) program which has been used as a template by EPA for other Municipalities. The Authority’s complex system requires highly qualified personnel. The Authority is inspecting and constantly monitoring our system on a 24/7 basis to ensure that sewage is conveyed, treated, and discharged in accordance with both Federal and State laws.
The Authority is funded by user fees from the ratepayers with significant contributions from the State of Connecticut for capital improvements through the CTDEEP Clean Water Fund. It has maintained an excellent financial bond rating far exceeding most municipal peers.
This litigation is misguided. The GNHWPCA is a Not-for-Profit entity, the burden of addressing this lawsuit will fall on the backs of our rate payers. It can only serve to distract us from our mission of protecting public health and the environment. This lawsuit will divert our limited public funds from the maintenance and operations that are needed. “The cost of this litigation will be a burden to our ratepayers, our system users and overall system operations,” said Sidney J. Holbrook, Executive Director of the Authority. “No system is failsafe. Our record is excellent, as proven by our CMOM manual being used as a model for other municipalities, and we never want to jeopardize that by the distractions of a lawsuit.”
2020 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Awards
Mario Ricozzi honored with the Wisely American Civil Engineer Award
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has honored Mario Ricozzi, P.E., F.ASCE with the 2020 William H. Wisely American Civil Engineer Award.
Ricozzi, GNHWPCA’s Manager of Design, is recognized for his dedication and steadfast leadership in overseeing revisions to the Society’s governing documents to enable flexibility, and his willingness to educate the membership on the proposed modifications.
The William H. Wisely American Civil Engineer Award recognizes individuals or groups of individuals who are members of ASCE and who have made continuing efforts to promote appreciation for the history, tradition, developments and technical and professional activities of the Society.
GNHWPCA honored with the Achievement in Civil Engineering (ACE) Award
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has honored GNHWPCA with the 2020 ACE Award for the organizations Short Term Control Plan Improvements For Cost Effective Combined Sewer Overflow Reduction. This project was selected for the ACE Award category with a construction value of < $20 million, > $5 million.
The GNHWPCA implemented a program of analysis, design & construction that resulted in a 40% reduction in CSOs at a cost of less than $1 per gallon of CSO Reduction per Year. The detailed analysis by GNHWPCA and their design teams, along with the expertise of the construction teams, resulted in an extremely cost-effective CSO reduction solution.
Notice of Permit Application
Notice of Permit Application
Town(s):
City of New Haven
Town of East Haven
Town of Hamden
Town of Woodbridge
Notice is herby given that the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority (the “applicant”) of 260 East Street, New Haven, CT will submit to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection an application under Section 22a-430 of the Connecticut General Statues for a permit to initiate, create, originate or maintain a discharge of water, substance or material to the waters of the state.
Specifically, the applicant proposes to renew its existing Municipal NPDES Permit No. CT0100366 to discharge 40,000,000 gallons per day of treated domestic sewage. The proposed activity will take place at the East Shore Water Pollution Abatement Facility, 345 East Shore Parkway, New Haven, CT. The proposed activity will potentially affect: New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound.
Interested persons may obtain copies of the application from Mr. John Torre, Operations Manager, 345 East Shore Parkway, New Haven, CT 06512, (203) 466-5280, extension 276.
The application will be available for inspection at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, Planning and Standards Division, Municipal Facilities Group, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127, (860) 424-3704 from 8:30 to 4:30, Monday through Friday. Please call in advance to schedule review of this application.