{"id":255,"date":"2025-06-03T19:45:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T23:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/?p=255"},"modified":"2025-07-02T12:34:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T16:34:39","slug":"the-consent-order-and-the-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/2025\/06\/03\/the-consent-order-and-the-cost\/","title":{"rendered":"Deadlines Pushed Back for $170M Sewage Separation Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

By Justin Doughty and Sofia Acosta
UConn Journalism<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Since 1994, the MDC has been legal\u00adly bound to elim\u00adi\u00adnate dis\u00adcharg\u00ading untreat\u00aded sewage into rivers through a series of con\u00adsent orders with the state. The lat\u00adest of the con\u00adsent orders,<\/a> signed January 15, 2025, adjusts dead\u00adlines for pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly con\u00adtract\u00aded projects and adds some new projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This order replaced the mod\u00adi\u00adfied order from 2023, which had updat\u00aded one from 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The over\u00adsee\u00ading agency is the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which is charged with enforc\u00ading the fed\u00ader\u00adal Clean Water Act. The con\u00adsent orders have been mod\u00adi\u00adfied sev\u00ader\u00adal times to deal with delays. Sometimes, as the new mod\u00adi\u00adfied order lays out, projects deemed too large have been bro\u00adken down into mul\u00adti\u00adple, small\u00ader projects, all with adjust\u00aded time\u00adlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the new agree\u00adment, the MDC was given 19 more months, until July 2026, to com\u00adplete the sewer sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion projects in the Westland Street and Windsor Street areas. Overflows in that area drain into the North branch of the Park River. Previously the dead\u00adline for sep\u00ada\u00adrat\u00ading those pipes was December 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New projects out\u00adlined in the order include sewer sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion for \u201cup to 160\u201d pri\u00advate prop\u00ader\u00adties in the North End. The MDC will fix out\u00addat\u00aded pip\u00ading on pri\u00advate prop\u00ader\u00adty, sav\u00ading each home\u00adown\u00ader up to $15,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a major change from pre\u00advi\u00adous plans, accord\u00ading to Nick Salemi, the spokesman for the MDC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we did, what was not allowed in pre\u00advi\u00adous years\u2014which was the big change\u2014was to be able to do the pri\u00advate prop\u00ader\u00adty improve\u00adments to people\u2019s homes,\u201d Salemi said in an inter\u00adview. He said \u201ca lot of what we do\u201d is cov\u00adered by grants through Connecticut\u2019s Clean Water Fund, admin\u00adis\u00adtered by DEEP. The fund gives grants and loans to cities and towns for work to improve waste\u00adwater treate\u00adment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addi\u00adtion to pri\u00advate prop\u00ader\u00adty reha\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adta\u00adtion, the mod\u00adi\u00adfied con\u00adsent order sped up a num\u00adber of sewer sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion projects, includ\u00ading those on Woodstock and Branford Streets and anoth\u00ader project on Tower Avenue. Over $10 mil\u00adlion worth of infra\u00adstruc\u00adture improve\u00adments have been com\u00adplet\u00aded so far on these projects, the MDC announced in spring 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe actu\u00adal\u00adly got a lot of the work done ahead of time and expe\u00addit\u00aded it,\u201d Salemi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other projects slat\u00aded to be fin\u00adished in the com\u00ading years are unchanged from pre\u00advi\u00adous con\u00adsent orders. These include sewer sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion in the Blue Hills neigh\u00adbor\u00adhood of the North End and in the town of Bloomfield, which is part of the MDC sys\u00adtem. These are expect\u00aded to be done between 2030 and 2040.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing out pip\u00ading locat\u00aded beneath lay\u00aders of con\u00adcrete or asphalt is expen\u00adsive, time con\u00adsum\u00ading, and dis\u00adrup\u00adtive to those that live in the area.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to be on your street, cut\u00adting out the road, block\u00ading you from going to get your kids.  You have to park off site.  You have to walk to your car,\u201d said Graham Stevens, chief of the Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, in an inter\u00adview at the DEEP head\u00adquar\u00adters in Hartford.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
Connecticut\u2019s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection water bureau chief Graham Stevens, right, and water plan\u00adning and man\u00adage\u00adment direc\u00adtor Nisha Patel met with jour\u00adnal\u00adists at DEEP\u2019s head\u00adquar\u00adters in Hartford. Photo by Christine Woodside<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The price tag for these projects is great because of the amount of time and labor need\u00aded to com\u00adplete them. Salemi said many peo\u00adple com\u00adplain that they can\u2019t see the improve\u00adments, most of them being under\u00adground or out of sight at the treat\u00adment plant in the South Meadows area. \u201cIt\u2019s there, but it\u2019s out of sight, out of mind,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many peo\u00adple, the long time\u00adframes are dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to grasp. Stevens said the state is respon\u00adsi\u00adble for updat\u00ading the pub\u00adlic on the progress of these projects. Some local res\u00adi\u00addents may not have been born when the orig\u00adi\u00adnal con\u00adsent order was signed. He said state offi\u00adcials must \u201creach out to the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty and explain what\u2019s com\u00ading\u201d to those who may not have even lived in the city when the plan was made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nisha Patel, the direc\u00adtor of the Water Planning and Management Division at DEEP, noted that sewer sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion is a huge under\u00adtak\u00ading that takes gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions to com\u00adplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCSOs are such a com\u00adplex and such a big prob\u00adlem that elim\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion takes decades,\u201d she said \u201ceven when you\u2019re being real\u00adly pro\u00adgres\u00adsive and real\u00adly pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adtiz\u00ading their removal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the con\u00adsent orders over the years have doc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded, dead\u00adlines change to match the real\u00adi\u00adties of these long projects. Thus far, the MDC appears to be on track with the lat\u00adest dead\u00adlines. Only time will tell if the MDC is able to uphold its agree\u00adment out\u00adlined in the con\u00adsent order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cost<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The total cost of the project to sep\u00ada\u00adrate sewage from stormwa\u00adter pipes and to store waste totals $170 mil\u00adlion, and the last of the work is pro\u00adject\u00aded to be fin\u00adished around 2040.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the com\u00adplex and hilly city of Hartford it takes care\u00adful plan\u00adning and solid fund\u00ading to under\u00adgo upgrade recon\u00adstruc\u00adtion projects. Although the MDC has been work\u00ading with the EPA and DEEP to address CSOs since the 1990s, var\u00adi\u00adous fac\u00adtors come into play when it comes to the time\u00adline of see\u00ading results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting any dis\u00adrup\u00adtive projects in cities, such as road con\u00adstruc\u00adtion repairs, pub\u00adlic tran\u00adsit upgrades, the mak\u00ading of parks and build\u00adings, and util\u00adi\u00adty upgrades like water and sewage line replace\u00adments take care\u00adful and thought\u00adful plan\u00adning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Director of the Water and Management Division for DEEP Nisha Patel puts these tech\u00adni\u00adcal and prac\u00adti\u00adcal com\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adtions into con\u00adtext for any big city, but specif\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly Hartford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contractors for the Metropolitan District Commission working in April 2025 to separate stormwater from sewage pipes on Westland Avenue. Photo by Elijah Polance<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-1024x681.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-1024x681.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-2048x1362.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-1200x798.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Westland-Sewer-Separation-Construction-wider-view-Elijah-smaller-1980x1316.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">
Contractors for the Metropolitan District Commission work\u00ading in April 2025 to sep\u00ada\u00adrate stormwa\u00adter from sewage pipes on Westland Avenue. Photo by Elijah Polance<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSay I can\u2019t dig up at Elm Street and dis\u00adrupt the day-to-day lives of every\u00adone to ulti\u00admate\u00adly sep\u00ada\u00adrate those lines, or you don\u2019t have enough money for it,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s some other tech\u00adni\u00adcal chal\u00adlenge, like the ground won\u2019t sup\u00adport two sep\u00ada\u00adrate pipes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sug\u00adgest\u00aded that such chal\u00adlenges require brain\u00adstorm\u00ading for other ways to solve the prob\u00adlem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no ques\u00adtion that MDC is respon\u00adsi\u00adble for elim\u00adi\u00adnat\u00ading CSOs, but the agency has said it is not a flood con\u00adtrol agency. Yet two state laws passed in 2023 and 2024<\/a> require the state and the MDC to work togeth\u00ader to stop flood\u00ading and to help res\u00adi\u00addents who have suf\u00adfered from floods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly $9 mil\u00adlion in grant funds were dis\u00adtrib\u00aduted to res\u00adi\u00addents for sewer back\u00adup pre\u00adven\u00adters that would keep their base\u00adments from flood\u00ading with untreat\u00aded waste. The Blue Hills Civic Association was given $75,000 to admin\u00adis\u00adter the grant pro\u00adgram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

TOP IMAGE: This map shows sew\u00ader\u00adage sys\u00adtem repairs planned in Hartford\u2019s North End neigh\u00adbor\u00adhoods. Areas with\u00adin red bor\u00adders are where the Metropolitan District Commission is sep\u00ada\u00adrat\u00ading storm pipes from sewer pipes, and areas with\u00adin blue lines where it is lin\u00ading and repair\u00ading pipes. Map cour\u00adtesy of MDC<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Justin Doughty and Sofia AcostaUConn Journalism Since 1994, the MDC has been legal\u00adly bound to elim\u00adi\u00adnate dis\u00adcharg\u00ading untreat\u00aded sewage into rivers through a series of con\u00adsent orders with the state. The lat\u00adest of the con\u00adsent orders, signed January 15, 2025, adjusts dead\u00adlines for pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly con\u00adtract\u00aded projects and adds some new projects. This order replaced\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1109,"featured_media":293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[16],"class_list":["post-255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-explainers","tag-explained"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/MDC-map-of-North-End-Project-Areas-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1176,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions\/1176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}