MDC Eyes New Water Main Through South Windsor

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — A proposed water-transmission main that would run through South Windsor and beneath two rivers has entered the state's environmental-review process.

The Metropolitan District Commission, or MDC, is considering the 30-inch main to create backup capacity for water service east of the Connecticut River, according to an Aug. 4 state environmental scoping notice.

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The proposed route would begin near Windsor Avenue and Meadow Road in Windsor, pass through Hartford, cross beneath the Connecticut and Podunk rivers, continue through South Windsor and connect near the intersection of King Street and Ellington Road in East Hartford.

MDC currently operates three aging transmission mains that carry treated water from the West Hartford Water Treatment Facility and Reservoir No. 6 Water Treatment Facility to customers east of the Connecticut River, including South Windsor, East Hartford and Glastonbury.

The new line is intended to provide redundancy and operational flexibility if one or more of those existing mains fail.

Under MDC's preferred alternative, the pipe would be installed beneath both rivers and the Amtrak right-of-way using trenchless construction, such as horizontal directional drilling. That underground segment would stretch about 5,200 feet and use a 48-inch steel casing around the 30-inch carrier pipe.

After the river crossing, the proposed route would continue through agricultural fields and a private gravel access road in South Windsor before reaching roadway segments in East Hartford. A second alternative would use more open-cut construction near the Podunk River, including areas near wetlands and agricultural land.

The filing does not include a construction timetable or cost estimate. MDC is seeking funding through the state's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and may also seek EPA support.

Separate reporting by The Hartford Courant found the project could also provide emergency water service to Portland, along with South Windsor, East Hartford and Glastonbury, if a transmission main fails.

The Courant, citing MDC spokesman Nick Salemi, reported the project is intended to improve safety, emergency preparedness, system resilience and capacity for emergency water service. The work remains in preliminary investigative stages and is not yet in final design, according to the Courant.

The state is accepting public comments on the proposal through Aug. 30. The Department of Public Health will then decide whether a more detailed environmental-impact evaluation is needed.

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