Pump Station Completed For Massive Hartford Sewer Tunnel Project

HARTFORD, CT — A $138 million pump station that will serve a massive underground tunnel designed to reduce sewage overflows into Greater Hartford waterways has been completed, marking another major milestone in the Metropolitan District's largest infrastructure project.

The MDC held a ribbon-cutting Thursday, Oct. 1, for the South Hartford Tunnel Pump Station at 255 Brainard Road in Hartford.

The MDC provides water, water pollution control, mapping, and household hazardous waste collection to eight member municipalities: Bloomfield, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor.

Additionally, the MDC provides drinking water to portions of Farmington, Glastonbury, East Granby and South Windsor, known as the MDC’s non-member towns.

The pump station is a critical component of the South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel, a 4-mile-long tunnel designed to capture and temporarily store combined wastewater and stormwater during heavy rain before sending it to the Hartford Water Pollution Control Facility for treatment.

The project includes several notable figures:

• $138 million: Cost of the newly completed South Hartford Tunnel Pump Station.
• 4 miles: Length of the South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel.
• 200 feet: Approximate depth of the tunnel, which was constructed in bedrock beneath Hartford and West Hartford.
• 41.5 million gallons: Approximate amount of combined sewer overflow the tunnel can store.
• 500 million gallons: Amount of combined sewer overflows the MDC says other infrastructure improvements completed through its Clean Water Project have already eliminated annually.

The tunnel is part of the MDC's Integrated Plan/Clean Water Project, a multibillion-dollar wastewater infrastructure program intended to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve regional water quality.

"The completion of the South Hartford Tunnel Pump Station marks another transformative achievement for the MDC," MDC Chief Executive Officer Scott Jellison said. "This facility is a vital piece of infrastructure that will help maximize the effectiveness of the tunnel system, reduce CSOs, improve water quality in our communities, and protect the Connecticut River watershed for generations to come."

The completed pump station represents another step toward putting the tunnel system into full operation, according to the MDC.

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Emma Cimino said the project is intended to reduce wastewater entering local waterways, the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound, while improving public safety for Hartford residents and downstream communities.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, whose 2nd Congressional District includes communities downstream along the Connecticut River, joined MDC and state officials for Thursday's ribbon-cutting.

Federal funding for the broader project has included support through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, according to Courtney's office.

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