Sam Gurwitt photo
Hole caused by July 2020 sewer main collapse on Whitney Avenue.
The regional water pollution authority has promised to invest $200,000 in stormwater runoff prevention efforts near the Eli Whitney Museum parking lot — nearly two years after a busted sewer main at that site sent 2.1 million gallons of sewage into the Mill River.
That’s according to a newly struck agreement between the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority (GNHWPA) and the local environmental advocacy nonprofit, Save the Sound.
The two agencies sent out an email press release Friday morning about the terms of that agreement, which stems from a recently settled federal court case that centered on a sewer main collapse and sewage spill that took place back in July 2020. (Click here, here, and here for previous Independent stories about that incident.)
“Save the Sound and the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority have reached a collaborative agreement that will yield a green infrastructure project with the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden to reduce stormwater runoff and help ensure local residents can enjoy a clean Long Island Sound,” that press release reads.
“The proposed environmental benefits project will include construction of a bioretention area at the Eli Whitney Museum Parking Lot that will capture the first inch of stormwater runoff before it discharges to the Mill River. The use of green infrastructure will provide treatment for the stormwater and infiltration into the soil, yielding stormwater quality improvements to the Mill River and Long Island Sound. The scope of the environmental benefits project will include protecting and restoring vegetative buffers along the Mill River, which will also improve water quality. GNHWPCA has committed $200,000 toward this project and will provide for a portion of legal and expert costs incurred by Save the Sound.”
The press release also states that the GNHWPCA will collaborate with the Eli Whitney Museum “in providing an educational component and student engagement in the implementation of the watershed enhancement.”
Hush-Hush Deal
The temporary 8-inch pipe used to reroute the sewer ...
... and the upper connection of the sewer diversion, from July 2020
Friday’s press release comes two days after GNHWPCA and Save the Sound attorneys formally closed out a federal court case based off of a lawsuit that Save the Sound filed in February 2021.
In the original lawsuit, Save the Sound alleged that the regional water authority’s overall neglect and infrequent inspections of its sewer pipes led to July 2020’s “unlawful discharges of pollution” into the Mill River. GNHWPCA’s lawyers responded by denying all allegations of wrongdoing and neglect.
Click here to read a previous Independent story about that court case.
In a phone interview with the Independent, Save the Sound attorney Katherine Fiedler praised the newly reached settlement as a “really strong resolution. We had very collaborative discussions with the WPCA … I do think that this settlement will ensure the protection of the public health,” especially in regard to the Mill River waterway.
Fiedler declined to share a copy of the settlement itself, stating that the agreement between Save the Sound and GNHWPCA stipulates that the settlement document itself would not be made public. Asked for comment, GNHWPCA Director of Engineering Thomas Sgroi said his organization had no further information to share about the settlement beyond what is in the press release.