A 40-page list of impaired waterways in Connecticut that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection included in a report to Congress has spurred DEEP’s estimate of nearly $5 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years. In general, water quality in most streams, rivers and lakes in Connecticut is sufficient to support fish and other aquatic life communities. DEEP’s estimate of $250 million a year in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next two decades was included a report that states are required to submit to Congress every two years under the federal Clean Water Act regarding the overall quality of waters in their state. DEEP reports that demand for construction funding though the state’s Clean Water Fund has never been higher since its establishment in 1987. The Clean Water Fund provides a combination of grants and loans to municipalities for wastewater infrastructure projects undertaken at the direction of DEEP. It is financed through a combination of federal funding and state bonding. The Clean Water Fund had made commitments totaling nearly $4.6 billion in grant and loan assistance through the 2024 fiscal year, according to the latest annual report by the state treasurer’s office.
Dozens of CT waterways identified as ‘impaired waters’ in new report
