FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Heather B. Habelka, Office of the Mayor, 203.385.4001

Ground Breaking Ceremony Held At Stratford's Water Pollution Control Facility

Stratford, Conn. (October 31, 2006) - The Town of Stratford held it’s Ground Breaking Ceremony Monday in honor of the start of the upgrades to the Town’s Water Pollution Control Facility.

Over the next five years, this $58.3 million upgrade to Stratford’s Water Pollution Control Facility is expected to significantly reduce nitrogen being discharged into Long Island Sound and to accommodate wastewater flow over the next 20 years. These upgrades will also bring
Stratford in compliance with the Clean Water Act.

The estimated total project cost is $58.3 million with $12.5 million being funded by the state and the remaining $45.8 million being financed by a state loan. CDM in Wethersfield, is serving as the project engineer and C.H. Nickerson & Co. in Torrington is the project contractor.

“It was critical that Rep. Backer and I went to Hartford to fight for this project at the DEP public hearing in January,” said Mayor Miron, “Not only will this upgrade benefit our environment, but it will improve the quality of life for the surrounding community as well.”

Riverfront improvements, including demolishing abandoned structures to create new “green space”; returning a stagnant wetland to its former free flowing condition and landscaping; and using the most state of the art equipment to control odor, are all part of the plan.

Stratford’s sewage treatment plant upgrade is one of 26 projects approved and prioritized by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that governs the award of state grants and low interest loans from the state’s Clean Water Fund (CWF).

DEP develops its priority list based on a detailed rating system. To be considered for a ranking on the list, all projects must be reviewed and approved by DEP and have any required local funding in place. The release of the final priority list follows a review of testimony and comments on a draft list that was the subject of a DEP public hearing January 5, 2006.

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