Date: Fri 18-Jul-1997

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

sewage-collection-WPCA-PSG

Full Text:

WPCA Selects Operator For New Sewer System

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) has chosen Professional Services

Group, Inc, (PSG) of Houston, Texas, as its contract operator for the

municipal sewer system.

The sewage collection system has been built and the sewage treatment plant is

undergoing testing. The plant is scheduled to be in operation by September 5.

PSG was among several companies that competed for the job, said Fred Hurley,

the town's public works director.

According to Mr Hurley, the town's contract with PSG likely will run for five

years, with options to renew. PSG will be paid approximately $400,000 to

operate the sewer system for the first year. The town is negotiating payment

to the firm for subsequent years.

In its proposal for a five-year service contract, PSG seeks approximately

$400,000 for the first year of service, and approximately $420,000, $462,000,

$496,000, and $501,000 for subsequent years.

As part of its agreement with the town, PSG will maintain and repair sewage

collection lines, operate the sewage treatment plant, run the four sewage

pumping stations, maintain grinder pumps, and handle sewer billing and

collection.

As public works director, Mr Hurley will oversee the contract between the

sewer system management firm and the town.

All of the service firms which applied to run the sewer system were qualified

to do so, Mr Hurley said.

The town hopes to have PSG on the job before the end of August. The firm will

then do startup work on the sewer system and sewage treatment plant. An

automated control system will be used to help run the sewer system, Mr Hurley

said.

Users are expected to start connecting to the sewer system this fall. When a

property is connected to the sewer system, wastewater disposal will be shifted

from individual septic systems to sewer hookup lines. The tops of septic tanks

will be broken and the tanks will be filled in with earth material. The

demolition and filling of tanks will prevent septic systems from being used

and will prevent possible future septic tank cave-ins, Mr Hurley said.

The price of sewer hookups will vary from property to property based on the

complexity of the plumbing needed. The need to blast rock to install a sewer

hookup would increase installation costs.

PSG Letter

In a letter to First Selectman Robert Cascella, Richard A. White, PSG's area

vice president of client services, writes PSG will offer the town advantages

over hiring other firms.

PSG has 200 employees working within 150 miles of Newtown, according to Mr

White. The firm runs a sewage treatment plant in Seymour similar to Newtown's

plant, so it has staff members with much experience within 30 minutes of

Newtown, he adds. PSG's candidate to run Newtown's plant lives just over 20

miles from Newtown, he writes.

The company has much experience using trailer-mounted sewer line cleaners

similar to the one it will be using in Newtown, according to Mr White.

PSG is the largest contract operator of wastewater and water treatment

facilities in the United States.

Besides the Seymour sewage treatment plant, PSG runs sewage plants in West

Haven and New London. It also has been chosen to run the sewage plant for

Bridgeport.

Other firms which responded to the town's request for qualifications to run

the sewer system included: OMI, Inc, of Greenwood Village, Colorado; Earth

Tech, Inc, of Glastonbury; ST Environmental Services, Inc, of Glen Cove, N.Y.;

United Water of Harrington Park, N.J.; Weston and Sampson Services, Inc, of

Peabody, Mass.; Wheelabrator EOS, Inc, of North Andover, Mass.; and Woodward

and Curran of Dedham, Mass.

The town is under a longstanding state pollution abatement order to rectify

groundwater pollution problems caused by failing septic systems. In 1992,

voters approved spending up to $34.3 million to build a sewer system.

Construction work on the sewer system started in November 1994.

The Way We Were

Silver Alert For Blue McGrath Ended

Top Of The Mountain

Cargo Van Driver Taken To Hospital Following Collision With Gas Tanker

Knotweed Initiative Program Planned

Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

<< May 2026 >>
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
26	27	28	29	30	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	1	2	3	4	5	6

Log In

Date: Fri 18-Jul-1997

Leave a Reply Cancel reply