Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, there were 146 sewage spills into Connecticut’s rivers and harbors, according to state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection data. That number is led by Norwich, which has had 41 spills into the Shetucket River and 16 into the Thames, which empties into Long Island Sound, data show. That’s one reason the city recently bonded $199 million to completely overhaul its sewage-treatment plant on Hollyhock Island in the Yantic River, a project that will take five years. In Norwich and three other Connecticut cities, outdated sewer systems that share the underground rainwater pipes, mean that several state rivers, and ultimately the Sound, become polluted after heavy rains. The Clean Water Fund, which is composed of federal and state money, totaled $583 million for 2023-24, half of which went to combined sewer overflow systems.
Sewage spilled into CT waterways nearly 150 times this year. See where, why and what’s being done.