Stamford Reps Vote for $4M WPCA Upgrade Project

The Stamford Board of Representatives met Monday night and affirmed a $4 million appropriation for planned rehabilitation and upgrading of the WPCA facility in Shippan.

The Fiscal Committe, led by Chair Jay Fountain, requested from the board $2 million for major rehabilitation, repairs, upgrades and enhancements to major equipment and plant security, and another $2 million for sanitary sewer rehabilitation, including relining main lines into the treatment plant and sewers at various streets.

Both items were sent back to the committee previously after having passed once. The committee re-approved each item Jan. 28, 2013, and tonight, the Board affirmed that decision

The only objection came from Representative Mary Deery Uva, who wanted to be sure the WPCA didn't have the privileged of choosing first how it would like to approach funding for the project.

"My objection here is it's premature for us to vote on this," Uva said. "I attended the WPCA board meeting, and the board did vote for the appropriation, but they did not vote on the funding mechanism."

Representative Harry Day said the board needed to act fast to reach compliance with state standards and orders from DEEP to avoid "serious sanctions."

"I don't think it's right to gamble with the state's good will or patience," Day said.

Taken to a vote, the board voted 30 in favor, 8 opposed, one abstention to approve the funds.

Proposals to conduct an audit of the WPCA and amend an ordinance to mandate the WPCA to immediate notify various city and state departments in the event of a sewage bypass are both still held up in the Operations Committee.

The OC is awaiting response from the Board of Finance on the issue of a WPCA audit and the amendment was held in committee.