Ellington Says 'Yes' To Sewer Expansion

ELLINGTON, CT — The sewage pump station maintained by Ellington at the Vernon wastewater treatment plant will soon get a $2.5 million facelift, courtesy of voters late last month.

At a special town meeting May 25 at Ellington Town Hall, 16 people unanimously said "aye" to the project, which will be funded via American Rescue Plan funds.

ARP dollars are federal funds aimed to aid municipalities for excess costs to handle the pandemic.
The project is seen as a necessary precursor to any future business development in town.

Though located in Vernon, the pump station getting the fixup is operated and maintained by the Ellington Water Pollution Control Authority since it serves Ellington sewer customers.

The project was first pitched to benefit from ARP funds in September 2021.

According to a memo from the Ellington WPCA to the Ellington Board of Selectmen, the pump station enhancements would allow for expansion of sewer services in town.

Oakridge Dairy on Jobs Hill Road in Ellington had approached the town about possible extension of sewers back then, something that would allow the farm to safely clean containers on the site, wrote the Ellington WPCA.

Since that part of town is pegged for increased commercial development, per Ellington's plan of conservation and development, the town pushed ahead for sewer project expansion.

But, according to Timothy M. Webb, Ellington's WPCA administrator, the 45-year-old Vernon pump station is too antiquated to handle added water flow.

"It has become apparent that the Vernon Wastewater Pump Station will need to be renovated and updated to handle any additional flow," wrote Webb to Ellington selectmen in 2021.

Early estimates of the project cost ranged from $2.67 million to more than $4 million, so the figure approved by voters last month is lower than prior cost estimates.

The town meeting where the project funds were approved lasted less than 10 minutes.