Groton Utilities will be gaining a new business on July 1st when sewer services become part of the Groton Utilities mix of business enterprises.

City residents and businesses will be billed for sewer services starting in July, when sewers become fee based and not tax based. Sewer bills will be determined on the amount of water consumed each month of the year. The sewer charge will appear as a line item on your water bill due to it being calculated at a specific rate per cubic foot of water used.

Essentially sewer charges will be using the same cost of service approach to rates as water and electric have been using for years. Sewers become an enterprise account.

The sewer rates are designed to be revenue neutral, meaning most customers will not see any major change in costs due to the change of how sewers are financed. In a practical sense, this means that any reduction in your tax bill will now be offset by your new sewer charge.

There are, however, exceptions because the volume of water used by various businesses can vary. Non-profits will also now be paying sewer fees, because the new rate system is based on water volumes. Prior to this change sewer costs were part of a property owner’s annual tax bill. The City of Groton was one of only a handful of municipals in the entire state who continue to use taxes to finance sewer costs.

One positive note is that by switching from tax funding to fee based funding for sewer services the City of Groton will be able to apply for special state grants, which it could not previously do because of the tax based sewer-financing system.

The new method of paying for sewer services will allow a more business-like approach. It will also allow for a more realistic approach to providing financing for upgrades to the city sewage system.

Groton Utilities understands that it is important to maintain the environmental integrity of the Thames River estuary and Long Island Sound. We contribute to that integrity by releasing quality effluent from the City of Groton’s sewer treatment plant. A fee based sewer system will enhance our historical support of meeting or exceeding that goal.

Groton Utilities will be performing necessary maintenance on the water system in the Central Avenue area on Monday, May 21st. This will result in water services being unavailable between 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. We apologize for this inconvenience and hope to have service back up as soon as possible.

Governor Dannell Malloy, City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick, Director of Utilities Ron Gaudet, Commissioner Raul Pino, Environmental Protection Agency Region 1 Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, amongst others, break ground on project.

“Water is a matter of public trust,” so declared Governor Malloy.  Groton Utilities and its local, state and federal partners celebrated that trust at a groundbreaking enactment ceremony in the shadow of its 80-year-old Water Treatment Plant on the last day of a traditional, New England April.

All of the speakers from Gov. Dannell Malloy to Connecticut Department of Public Health, Commissioner Raul Pino, to Environmental Protection Agency Region 1 Administrator, Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, to City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick to Director of Utilities Ron Gaudet, emphasized what that public trust means to its citizens and stakeholders is in the form of resiliency.

The ceremony was a celebration of the construction of the renovation and improvement to Groton Utilities Water Treatment Facility.  The $54 million project is actually already underway.  R. H. White Construction Co., the low bidder, is the general contractor for the project.

The speakers stated that they are supporting that public trust with their financial commitments through low cost loans and grants.  They emphasized a commitment to improving water quality through modern treatment processes.

Part of the state and federal commitments requires Groton Utilities to interconnect with other water suppliers in the Southeastern Connecticut Region.  Officials emphasized the importance of this relationship, as they are all caretakers of water being a public trust.  Groton Utilities presently has interconnections with the Towns of Montville and Ledyard plus the Aquarion Water Company’s, Mystic Division.  Future interconnections are under study and consideration.

City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick

The new Water Treatment Plant is significant in its role as an economic development catylist not only for the Greater Groton community, but also for the Southeastern Connecticut Region.

The program ended with the guest speakers and officials taking to the shovels at Groton Utilities’ Julio H. Leandri Operation Center and tossing soil from the site airward, symbolizing the official “start” of the project.

The architect designed the project to meet emerging and future standards for water quality, enhance fire protection, and provide advanced technology and process control, allowing Groton Utilities to continue its tradition of providing the highest quality water to its valued customers, local and regional.

Groton Utilities Water Division serves some 6,500 customers in the City of Groton, the Town of Groton, Noank, Groton Long Point, the Mohegan Tribal Authority, the Towns of Montville and Ledyard, and the Aquarion Water Company’s Mystic Division.

It was noted that all of this work could not have been accomplished without the efforts and dedication of past and present Groton Utilities’ employees.