Water Main Work Slated For Towns In Hartford And Tolland Counties

NORTH CENTRAL, CT — Several area water main projects are scheduled as part of Connecticut Water Co.'s plan to invest more than $50 million in drinking water infrastructure in 2020.

Pipeline replacement projects account for nearly half of the planned spending, with 20 new and continuing projects at an estimated cost of more than $27 million.

The majority of the remaining funds are allocated for improvements in treatment, water storage and pumping facilities.

"Drinking water infrastructure is costly to install, maintain and replace, but it is imperative to make these investments for our water systems to reliably serve the needs of current and future customers," said Craig J. Patla, Connecticut Water's vice president of service delivery. "This investment is also good for the environment. Replacing aging infrastructure lowers energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and protects water resources by conserving water that would be lost to underground leaks."

Water main projects include:

• Enfield: Extending a water main along the Route 190 bridge.
• Stafford: A pipeline project that began along Gulf Road in Somers last year will continue into Stafford a short distance past Johnson Memorial Hospital.
• Vernon: Carryover work along East Main Street and West Main Street that will start back up next week and last about 8-to-10 weeks.
• South Windsor: Updating pressure release walved on Woodpond Road to increase capacity for water mains.
• Farmington: Water main work in Unionville along Forest Hills Drive and Barberry Lane in conjunction with a town paving project.

Connecticut Water mains span more than 1,700 miles in Connecticut, and some are more than 100 years old. Since 2008, the company has replaced 145 miles, or approximately 8.5 percent, of its water mains at a cost of more than $175 million through the Water Infrastructure and Conservation Adjustment program, known as WICA. In 2019, the company invested nearly $60 million in infrastructure.

The company’s goal is to be on a 100-year replacement cycle for water mains, officials said.