NPU secures $4.4 million to continue wastewater system upgrades in Greeneville

Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) has been awarded $4.4 million through the State of Connecticut’s Clean Water Fund Priority List. The list, which is administered by the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, is a roadmap for improving wastewater infrastructure across Connecticut.

NPU will receive $4.4 million to continue its work of ‘re-lining’ its aged sewer mains in Greeneville; 50% will be grant-funded, 50% will be a low-interest (2%) loan repaid over 20 years.

There are approximately 27,000 linear feet of piping that needs to be replaced; 6,000 feet have been completed over the past four years. NPU records indicate that these pipes were installed between 1885 and 1950.

The existing pipes allow for a significant amount of “inflow and infiltration” which can overtax the combined flow pipe network during significant rain events; this results in more frequent overflows with larger volumes of combined discharge.

NPU has also secured $1.6 million through the advocacy of Senators Blumenthal, Murphy and Congressman Courtney to reline more of this pipe which removes rain and groundwater from the pipe network providing more capacity in NPU’s system.

When complete, we estimate that these improvements will reduce the amount of wastewater being discharged into the Shetucket River by millions of gallons per year. This will benefit every community between Norwich and Long Island Sound along the Thames River for generations to come.

This funding will be used to reline pipes from approximately St. Joseph’s Cemetery, south along North Main Street and Central Avenue, to Hickory Street.

In addition, an RFP is about to be advertised for the next phase of the I&I removal project through previously secured funding of $1.4 million that is anticipated to be undertaken in the Spring, 2025.