NewsLeak

Complaints from various environmental groups regarding excess wastewater leaking into local waterways from treatment plants in a few Connecticut communities has led to a public demand for sewage infrastructure upgrades, reports the Stamford Advocate.

Though the Department of Environmental Protection has spearheaded the efforts of at least six Connecticut cities to improve their sewage systems, the paper states repairs are moving slowly, and that funding is an issue.

In Bridgeport, Dennis Greci, chief of the DEP's municipal wastewater division, told the Advocate that to stop the leaking – mostly caused by periods of heavy rain – the city will have to spend a considerable amount of money.

"We estimate that it will cost $2 billion to correct all of the CSO [Combined Sewer Outflow] systems in the state, and we get $200 million per year from the federal government to do not just this work, but also denitrification and other projects to improve water quality in Long Island Sound. So it will take a while to get all of it done," he told the newspaper.

While many Connecticut communities have already begun system renovations, the Connecticut Mirror reports the cities of Bolton and Vernon are joining them, as they are moving ahead with $25 million in sewer infrastructure repairs.

After determining the city will need to implement upgrades to its failing sewage system, Jackson, Mississippi, officials have begun billing residents who have plumbing issues – including leaks – on their properties to help fund future renovation projects, according to the Clarion Ledger.

The paper reports the Environmental Protection Agency mandated the city of Jackson update its aging and deteriorating sewage system, which has caused issues for several residents. System repairs could cost the city $400 million, the newspaper says.

While Jackson may need help paying for the new system, city councilman Kenneth Stokes told the paper they should be funded from sources other than Jackson residents.

"They're already paying taxes – city sales taxes, sewer and water bills, car tags," he told the newspaper. "The city must make sure no citizen is hurt, whether they're on fixed income or not – but especially if they're on a fixed income."

Jackson isn't the only Mississippi city fixing its sewer infrastructure. The city of Sumrall will use a $400,000 grant to upgrade its sewage system before then end of the year, the Hattiesburg American reports.

Though officials in Venice, Florida, expect $2 million in stormwater pipe repairs to put an end to human waste ending up on the city's beaches, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports the project could be unnecessary, as the leak could be indicative of a break in a septic line.

Jay Leverone, a scientist with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, told the paper human waste shouldn't be in the wastewater, which likely means there is a break in the city's sewer pipes.

According to the paper, Leverone and other scientists, who were hired by Venice officials to determine if the project is necessary, were told testing will be stopped and the wastewater pipes will be rerouted.

Regarding the results of the tests, Venice utilities director Len Bramble told the paper, "We were hoping we'd find a smoking gun. We are mystified."

City engineer Kathleen Weeden told the newspaper in addition to ensuring water quality at the city's beaches, the project will also reduce beach erosion.

A substantial amount of wastewater at the city's beaches caused the Sarasota Health Department to close them for the project, including during spring break, reports say.