Zoning Change to Eliminate Private Sewage Treatment

Following a developer's proposal to build a private sewage treatment plant on Beaver Brook Road, Danbury's Planning Department created new zoning regulations to prohibit non-Danbury-owned treatment plants in the future.

More than 100 people opposed the treatment plant proposed on Beaver Brook Road earlier this summer.

Those proposed regulations were given a postitive recommendation Wednesday night by the Planning Commission. That recommendation will now go to the Zoning Commission, which will consider the issue Sept. 27.

Under the old regulations, a private developer could propose a sewer treatment plant in certain zones as a "special exception." If the proposed zone change is approved, Danbury will only allow municipal sewer treatment plants owned by the city of Danbury.

The old regulations failed to define the difference between waste that flows in city sewer pipes and the waste that is pumped from a septic tank. The proposed regulations now define tank waste as "septage."  The waste that flows in city sewer pipes is defined as "sewage."

"Only municipal treatment," asked Commission Alternate Helen Hoffstaetter.

"Yes," said Chairman Arnold Finaldi.