Date: Fri 07-Mar-1997

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

sewer-operation-firm-bids

Full Text:

Town Seeks Private Firm To Run Sewer System

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The town is seeking a private firm to operate, maintain, and administer the

municipal sewer system now under construction.

The work involves running the sewage treatment plant currently under

construction at the end of Commerce Road, operating four sewage pumping

stations, and maintaining the network of sewage collection lines in the

Borough, Sandy Hook Center, and Taunton Pond North.

Newtown's Public Works Director Fred Hurley said the town is asking companies

to provide specifics on how they would operate the sewer system, including

their business plans, staffing, and costs for various services.

In its "request for proposals" on sewer system operation, the town is

accepting submissions until March 27.

Mr Hurley said it's unclear how much money it will cost the town to run the

sewer system, but added he expects it will cost "several hundred thousand

dollars annually."

The town wants applicants to explain the various types of services they can

provide, plus the costs for such services, Mr Hurley said. From those lists of

services, the town will choose the ones that are required to operate the sewer

system, he said.

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

sewer system management firm and the town. The initial term of the contract is

expected to be five years, with possible renewal options.

After interviewing firms interested in running the sewer system, the Water

Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) will make a recommendation on hiring a

company to the town's Purchasing Authority.

In December, the WPCA received responses from eight firms interested in

operating the sewer system.

Those responses followed "requests for qualifications" sought by the town from

various firms to learn whether the companies are technically capable of

managing the sewer system.

After the Newtown system is completed next fall, more than 20 miles of sewer

mains will carry sewage to the plant at the end of Commerce Road. The new

treatment plant also will handle sewage now treated by the state's sewage

plant on the Fairfield Hills grounds.

Firms that responded to the town's request for qualifications include: OMI,

Inc, of Greenwood Village, Colorado; Earth Tech, Inc, of Glastonbury; PSG of

Houston, Texas; ST Environmental Services, Inc, of Glen Cove, N.Y.; United

Water of Harrington Park, NJ; Weston and Sampson Services, Inc, of Peabody,

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

and Curran of Dedham, Mass.

The firms that already have submitted their qualifications to the town are the

types of companies that are best suited to operate a sewer system, Mr Hurley

said.

Firms that have not yet submitted their qualifications to the town have will

until March 20 to do so, after which they would submit their operating

proposals.

The treatment plant now being built at the end of Commerce Road will be highly

automated. The facility will be unattended at nights and on weekends. An

estimated five to seven people would work there, with probably no more than

five people working there at any one time, according to Mr Hurley.

Telemetry equipment will transmit information on the operation of four sewage

pumping stations and the sewage plant to a central computer. Computers will be

used to automatically regulate the sewer system's operations. If major

operational problems arise, alarms would sound and automatic telephone calls

would be made to alert staffers. Certain problems could be remotely corrected

via computers linked to the sewage plant by telephone lines.

The town hopes to hire a firm to run the sewer system by summer. The system is

slated to be completed by October.

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

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

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

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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 :)

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Date: Fri 07-Mar-1997

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