Press Release
Pump Station Project Summary Sheet
South Hartford Tunnel Construction Videos (YouTube Playlist)
Original South Hartford Tunnel Brochure
MDC Tunnel Project Meets Major Milestone
Ribbon cutting celebrates Tunnel Pump Station construction completion
(Hartford, CT) The Metropolitan District (MDC) today celebrated another significant milestone in its South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel (SHCST) Project with the official ribbon cutting of the South Hartford Tunnel Pump Station, a critical component of the region’s Integrated Plan / Clean Water Project.
The new pump station will play an essential role in the operation of the SHCST, a four-mile-long deep rock tunnel designed to capture and temporarily store excess combined wastewater and stormwater during heavy rain events before conveying those flows to the Hartford Water Pollution Control Facility for treatment.
The completion of the $138 million South Hartford Tunnel Pump Station represents the next major step toward full operation of the tunnel system and demonstrates MDC’s continued commitment to meeting federal and state clean water requirements while protecting public health and the environment.
The tunnel, which extends beneath Hartford and West Hartford and was constructed 200 feet below ground in bedrock and can store approximately 41.5 million gallons of combined sewer overflows (CSOs), will protect local waterways and improve water quality throughout the region.
The SHCST is the largest and most complex infrastructure investment in MDC’s history and is a cornerstone of the utility’s ongoing Integrated Plan / Clean Water Project, a multi-billion-dollar wastewater infrastructure program undertaken to reduce CSOs and improve water quality and public health. When in operation, the tunnel will complement the infrastructure upgrades already made as part of the Clean Water Project that have eliminated over 500 million gallons of CSOs per year.
During the ceremony, MDC officials were joined by federal, state, and local leaders, project partners, and community stakeholders to recognize the years of planning, engineering, and construction that made the project possible.
“The completion of the South Hartford Tunnel Pump Station marks another transformative achievement for the MDC, ” said Scott Jellison, MDC Chief Executive Officer. “This facility is a vital piece of infrastructure that will help maximize the effectiveness of the tunnel system, reduce CSOs, improve water quality in our communities, and protect the Connecticut River watershed for generations to come.”
“The MDC, along with our partners at CT DEEP, are proud to invest in infrastructure that delivers lasting environmental benefits for our member towns and future generations,” said MDC Chairman Donald Currey. “Today’s ribbon cutting represents not only the completion of a major facility, but also our continued progress toward a cleaner, more resilient wastewater system for the region.”
“The completion of this project is an important step toward improving public safety for Hartford residents and communities downstream. It will also reduce wastewater entering local waterways, the Connecticut River, and Long Island Sound, helping improve water quality across the region.” said DEEP Acting Commissioner Emma Cimino. “We are grateful for the statewide support of Connecticut’s Clean Water Fund and for the partnership of the Metropolitan District, the City of Hartford, Connecticut’s federal delegation, Speaker Ritter, and everyone who helped make this project possible,”