Groton Receives Portion of $40 Million to Improve Water Treatment

The Department of Public Health (DPH) announced Thursday that Groton would be part of the $40 million in low interest loans to protect the state’s public drinking water by financing local projects aimed at improving water treatment plants and other facilities that was approved by the State Bond Commission on May 27.

Groton will receive an additional $8 million (for a total funding of $42 million) for a major upgrade of the surface water treatment plant. Groton will make significant improvements to its plant to improve water quality, modernize treatment technologies and upgrade aged facilities.

The plant was originally constructed in 1938, and improvements to the facility are crucial for long-term infrastructure sustainability.

“By working closely with public water systems, the State of Connecticut continues to ensure that public drinking water infrastructure is maintained in working order and is sustainable into the future. The funding approved by the Bond Commission will ensure that this important work will continue,” said DPH Commissioner Raul Pino. “As a result, our residents will continue to receive high-quality potable drinking water.”

The package approved by the Bond Commission will make it possible for the state’s Drinking Water Fund (DWF) to provide low-interest loans to local and regional public water systems for drinking water improvement projects. Under this program, loans are repaid at approximately half the market interest rate over 20 years.