News

Meeting Agenda (includes Webex video link)
Presentation
Consent Order – Integrated Plan
Integrated Plan Quarterly Report Video link (YouTube link)

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(HARTFORD, CT) – The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) voted to adopt the 2024 budget that included water and sewer rates at the December 4^th meeting of the District Board.  The budget setting process includes a series of public meetings as well as collaboration with the town managers and finance directors of the MDC’s eight member towns. The MDC provides two separate essential services, drinking water and wastewater collection and treatment. The MDC approved a $213.4 million water and sewer budget, a 4.3% increase from 2023 without raising the water rate or sewer tax.

WATER BILL
For 2024, the Water Use Charge, based on volumetric usage, will remain at $3.80 per ccf (A ccf is equal to approximately 748 gallons of water). The Water Customer Service Charge, a fixed monthly charge of $14.98, will stay flat for the sixth straight year. In addition, the Sewer Customer Service charge will remain at $9 per month for the third straight year. The MDC’s water rate remains the lowest for any similarly sized water provider in Connecticut.

The Clean Water Project Charge (CWP), also based on volume, will increase from $4.25 per ccf to $4.33 per ccf, an increase of 8 cents after originally being scheduled to be 18 cents.  The CWP Charge is solely to pay for the principal and interest on bonds and loans issued to finance the Clean Water Project, the major sewer infrastructure capital improvement project mandated by the federal and state governments for the eight member towns that have water and sewer service. For a customer that uses 100 ccf of water in a year, this amounts to approximately a $0.66 (cents) a month increase for a 2024 water bill or $8 for the entire year. However, a typical water bill will still be less than it was in 2022. 

AD VALOREM / SEWER
The majority of the MDC’s standard sewer operations are funded by an ad valorem tax, a direct bill to the each of the MDC’s eight member towns that is recovered as part of municipal property taxes. For the third time in the last four years, the ad valorem tax will have zero overall increase.

CEO Scott Jellison stated, “MDC rates remain among the best value for any utility in Connecticut. Holding the water rate to zero increase after significantly lowering it last year, demonstrates the ability of our staff to continue to provide affordable, high quality service.  As a result, our customers are still paying less than they were two years ago. We were also able to begin planning for the major upgrades needed as part our water master plan by establishing a rate stabilization fund.”

“We worked diligently with our leadership and regulators to mitigate a potentially larger increase to the Clean Water Project Charge by securing state grants as part of our Integrated Plan projects. Credit goes to our board, staff and regulators for their collaborative effort on how to best provide a benefit to our customers while continuing to make the necessary investments to our wastewater infrastructure at an affordable rate.”

November Bill Insert (English)
November Bill Insert (Spanish)

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MDC RECREATION AREA HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

(HARTFORD, CT) – The Metropolitan District’s (MDC) recreational facilities will have limited hours for the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Hours at the West Hartford Reservoir, located at 1420 Farmington Avenue; Reservoir #6, located off Route 44/Albany Avenue in West Hartford and the West Branch Reservoir in Hartland will be limited per the following schedule:

November 23, Thanksgiving (CLOSED)

December 24, Christmas Eve (CLOSED at 12PM)

December 25, Christmas Day (CLOSED)

December 31, New Year’s Eve, (CLOSED at 12PM)

January 1, New Year’s Day (OPEN)

December 14 Meeting Agenda (includes Webex video link)

In accordance with its Modified Consent Order, dated July 24, 2023, the Metropolitan District (MDC) will
conduct a public meeting to provide 1) an update on Consent Order projects completed and under
construction, 2) a schedule for Consent Order projects under construction or yet to start construction,
and 3) a status of use of minority and disadvantaged business enterprises on its Consent Order Projects.

The MDC invites residents and property owners in Bloomfield, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington,
Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor and any other interested parties, to attend the
public meeting on Thursday, December 14, 2023, at 5:30 P.M., at the MDC Headquarters, located at
555 Main Street, Hartford, CT.

The general public may attend remotely via call-in # 415-655-0001; access code 2313 379 9899#
or via Webex video link: https://themdc.webex.com/themdc/j.php?MTID=m6551aade5bcf050099ad53ee6af27f61

The primary objective of the Modified Consent Order is to achieve reduction in Combined Sewer
Overflows (CSOs) via rehabilitation/repairs to both its existing collection system and private house
connections (laterals). This approach prioritized projects which achieved both benefits to the
community and the environment as well as maintaining affordability for our customers and member
towns.

Public Notice for December 14 Integrated Plan Consent Order Update Public Meeting

MDC CONFIRMS NO PFAS DETECTED IN WATER
Water sampling shows no PFAS, consistent with previous tests
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Hartford Courant article link

(HARTFORD, CT) – The Metropolitan District (MDC) takes water quality very seriously, and remains committed to providing our customers with the highest quality potable water through source protection, treatment, compliance monitoring and reporting of analytical results. MDC uses rigorous testing as part of its annual water quality report and continues to meet or exceed drinking water standards year after year.

A recent news article appeared in the Hartford Courant on October 16 titled “Does your CT drinking water have harmful forever chemicals? In this state it depends where you live,” that confirmed that MDC has detected no PFAs over several rounds of water sampling for 2023. MDC previously published the results of the first two rounds of PFAS testing via press releases in April and June.

The MDC has been testing for PFAS as part of an EPA program called the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) to monitor for the highest priority unregulated contaminants in Public Water Systems (PWS) across the United States every 5 years. Water samples are collected and analyzed for 29 specific PFAS substances as part of the requirement of this year’s program called UCMR 5. The test period for UCMR 5 allows until the end of 2025 to complete testing.  MDC chose to complete the testing this year.

MDC began the UCMR 5 testing this past January, which must be completed over four consecutive quarters. The results from the three quarters of testing indicated none of the 29 PFAS compounds have been detected in MDC water samples. The fourth round of testing in currently underway.  It should be noted that MDC also tested its water for six PFAS compounds as part of a previous round of UCMR testing in 2013 and 2014.  No PFAS were detected in any of the samples taken during that twelve-month period.

MDC’s surface water reservoirs are well protected as Connecticut is one of only two states that requires use of Class A water for drinking water purposes.  Class A water means that there are no wastewater discharges to the drinking water source or upstream.  In addition, MDC owns over 31,000 acres of land to protect its watershed and maintains a vigilant and aggressive watershed protection program, which includes over 1000 inspections a year which vastly reduces potential contamination. 

MDC is confident that not only is the water safe to drink, but it remains among the highest quality in the United States. MDC will continue to keep our customers informed on water quality standards for PFAS as they are developed by our regulators.

For Immediate Release
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(HARTFORD, CT) – The Metropolitan District (MDC) is advising customers to take the time to properly research plumbing contractors and to be cautious of individuals posing as MDC employees. When hiring a contractor, it is important to make sure they are licensed. Contractors must be licensed by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and can be verified on their website www.ctgov/dcp.  Some other reminders when planning to hire a contractor include:

• Get estimates from multiple qualified contractors to ensure comparable rates.

• Always request a copy of the written, signed contract and read the details.

• Ask for a business card to ensure they work for the company and check references.

• If you have questions about identifying a qualified plumbing contractor, you can also contact the MDC’s Utility Services Department at (860) 278-7850 ext. 3780.

With significant construction projects underway across MDC’s service area, customers should be cautious of individuals posing as MDC employees in an attempt to enter residential homes.

• MDC employees wear clothing and drive vehicles clearly marked with the MDC logo.

• The MDC encourages customers to stay secure within the home while asking for identification from anyone who comes to their door. All MDC employees and contractors have photo identification badges and will display them upon request.  The policy is “No Identification – No Entry”.

• If someone comes to your door claiming to be from the water company and you do not have a previously scheduled appointment, do not allow access to your home until calling the MDC Command Center (open 24/7) at 860-278-7850 and press 1 to verify their identity.

• If you have any doubt about the individual’s identity or motives, or authenticity of their credentials, do not allow them entry into your home.

Annual Goodwin Dam test scheduled for October 11

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For Immediate Release

(HARTFORD, CT) – The Metropolitan District’s (MDC) flood warning notification sirens, located at the Goodwin Dam Hydroelectric Powerhouse in West Hartland and adjacent to the Grange Hall in the Riverton section of Barkhamsted, will undergo routine testing and public sounding on

Wednesday, October 11, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. and again at 7:00 p.m. This public sounding will affect the communities of West Hartland, Colebrook, Riverton and a portion of Barkhamsted.

Each scheduled test will begin with a voice message broadcast through the warning notification sound system stating, “The following warning tones are a test of the Goodwin Dam to Riverton Evacuation Siren System. In the event of an emergency situation at the Goodwin Dam, the following alarm tone would be sounded. This is only a test. This is only a test.” Several soundings may be necessary to fully exercise the system and each test is anticipated to last no longer than five minutes.

The test will conclude with the message stating “This announcement concludes the testing of the Goodwin Dam to Riverton Evacuation Siren System. This was only a test. This was only a test.” The MDC takes responsibility for the safety and well-being of our customers very seriously and regrets any inconvenience that the noise may cause to residents during the testing period.

The tests are part of the MDC’s Goodwin Dam Emergency Action Plan and are required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for all hydroelectric power facilities. The testing has been fully coordinated with local emergency response agency officials. Questions regarding local emergency preparedness agency evacuation plans should be directed to local Police and/or Fire Departments.

Press Release PDF
North Hartford Sewer Improvement Projects Information

MDC URGES NORTH HARTFORD CUSTOMERS TO OPT IN TO FREE SEWER HOUSE CONNECTION PROGRAM
Private Property lining/repairs in Tower Avenue Project Area to begin

For Immediate Release
(HARTFORD, CT) – The Metropolitan District (MDC) is urging residents in its Tower Avenue Sewer Rehabilitation project area to participate in the Sewer House Connection Program. The program is part of the MDC’s Integrated Plan that was recently approved by the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), which regulates and funds a portion of the work associated with the Clean Water Project, the multi-billion-dollar sewer infrastructure upgrade program. A major change to CT DEEP’s policy regarding funding for the current phase of the program was to allow partial funding for improvements to MDC customer’s private property consisting of that portion of the sewer house connection extending from the home to the property to the property line. As part of North Hartford Sewer Improvement Projects, MDC and its contractors will inspect and line, and if necessary repair, the sewer house connection at no cost to the customer.

The Tower Avenue Sewer Rehabilitation project involves lining the sewer main in the street and each sewer house connections, as well as making sewer point repairs of sewer manholes and reconnecting catch basins to the stormwater system. Sewer lining stops groundwater from getting into pipes (through cracks and leaks), improves the structural integrity of the pipe, and reduces risks of blockages. Upon completion, a customer’s renewed sewer house connection could last an additional estimated 50 years. MDC outreach staff has canvassed the project area over the past several months to inform residents about the construction and request permission to do the private property work. It is important to note that MDC’s contractors will not line the sewer house connections located on a customer’s private property without this written permission. If a customer does not opt in to the program, any future work to private property lateral may be completed under the Sewer House Connection Program, and would likely be a more disruptive and costly method of repair, including excavation on your property.

MDC’s contractor will begin lining the sewer main line and house connections in the Tower Avenue area starting the week of October 9 on the following streets: Ashford, Addison, Greenwich and Rosemont. Outreach staff will also be reaching out to the next set of streets in the project area which includes Rutland, Cambridge, Melrose and a portion of Tower.

Residents of those streets in the project who have not yet opted into the program and wish to do so should contact MDC Outreach Liaison Mandisa Walker at (860) 797-0370 or mandisa@moodyconsultingfirm.com.

The Independent Consumer Advocate will hold his annual public forum on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 5:30PM.

The purpose of the meeting is to report on the Advocate’s activities and receive consumer feedback.

The forum will be held in person at the District Headquarters, located at 555 Main Street, Hartford 06103 and will also be available on Webex

Webex Link: Meeting Video Link
Dial in: 1 (415) 655-0001
Access Code: 980 274 00#