The Mattabassett District held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, June 13, to mark the start of construction on a full renovation, expansion and nitrogen removal upgrade at its water pollution control facility.
The event was held at that facility on 245 Main Street in Cromwell and featured guest speakers including Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Dan Esty and The Mattabassett District Board Chairman William Candelori.
The $93 million dollar project is expected to take three years to complete and will be spearheaded by C.H. Nickerson & Co., a Torrington-based general contracting firm that specializes in water and wastewater treatment plant construction.
“We are excited to begin construction and look forward to the expansion and improvements that will ultimately save our ratepayers money and have a more positive impact on local ecosystems,” said Brian W. Armet, executive director of The Mattabassett District.
One of the biggest advantages of the project will be the enhanced ability to remove nitrogen from water discharged from the plant. This will, in turn, reduce the amount of nitrogen flowing into Long Island Sound each year. High levels of nitrogen in the Sound fuels the growth of algae, which causes low levels of oxygen in the water and destroys aquatic life.
The Mattabassett District currently serves 170,000 ratepayers in New Britain, Cromwell, Berlin and parts of Rocky Hill, Newington, Farmington and Middletown. The state General Assembly passed a bill in 2011 which allows Middletown to be fully incorporated into this facility upon completion of the project. In order to accommodate the potential for extra ratepayers from Middletown, the upgrade includes the building of an additional, $5 million nitrogen removal tank.
“One of the biggest challenges with this project will be keeping the facility fully online and operational throughout the extensive construction phase. C.H. Nickerson & Co. prides itself on being able to handle large, complicated projects while at the same time causing no disruption of service to ratepayers” said Jon Miller, president of C.H. Nickerson & Co.
Source: C.H. Nickerson & Co.
