The Regional Water Authority is eyeing about 2 acres of land behind Derby High School as a possible location for a 1 million gallon water storage tank.
Kate Powell, a spokeswoman for Regional Water, said the tank is needed as a backup for water distribution in west Derby.
The system has no backup, which leaves it vulnerable if there are fires, water main breaks or heavy usage in the summer.
Leaders at Griffin Hospital have repeatedly said the water storage tank is needed, and cited a 2011 incident when the hospital was without water during a water main break.
In 2013, Regional Water proposed a tank for “Telescope Mountain,” at the top of Summit Street in west Derby.
However, that proposal was met with stiff opposition from neighbors. The Telescope Mountain tank would have required dynamite blasting, the removal of 13,000 cubic yards of rock, and hundreds of tractor-trailer trips to haul the rock off the site.
In this video from a public meeting in 2013, Stephen Rupar, a senior manager and engineer with Regional Water, explained why the tank is needed.
Neighbors — and Derby City Hall — urged Regional Water to look elsewhere, arguing the construction activity was just too much for the densely-populated neighborhood. Click here for a story from 2013.
Powell noted the Telescope Mountain tank would have been 2 million gallons. A tank near Derby High School would be smaller, she said, though she did not have exact specifications.
Regional Water would have to negotiate with the City of Derby to use the land. Powell said those discussions are in the early stages. She indicated the authority was seeking to purchase the land.
Representatives from Regional Water were scheduled to appear in front of the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday (Feb. 17) for an “informal” discussion on the tank. The company has not submitted a formal application for development, so there was no information available on what the construction would entail.
Mayor Anita Dugatto said Wednesday the city is in the listening stage when it comes to the water tank.
She said she plans to discuss the idea with members of the Derby Board of Aldermen at their meeting scheduled for Feb. 26.
“There is an interest in property they (the Aldermen) own,” Dugatto said.
On the face of it, the location sounds better than the Telescope Mountain location, because it is a smaller tank and farther away from the houses and condos that surround Telescope Mountain, Dugatto said.
“They’re looking at a piece behind the high school, up from Coon Hollow Road,” Dugatto said.
Powell said the storage tank is still in its design phase.
The tank would be on the north side of the high school, between Nutmeg Avenue and Coon Hollow Road.
“After we went through the public meeting at the end of July in 2013, it was obvious neighbors did not want a tank where we had originally proposed. We looked at 100 other properties and prioritized them, and this location is very high on the list,” Powell said.
Powell said Regional Water Authority plans to hold informational meetings on the project if and when it moves forward.
The following press release was sent by the Regional Water Authority Wednesday afternoon:
The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA) appeared at the Derby Planning & Zoning Commission meeting on Tuesday evening, February 17, to make an informal presentation about an alternative site for its new Community Water Tank (CWT) to be located in Derby, Connecticut.
In July 2013, the RWA significantly redesigned its plans for its CWT in response to issues expressed at public hearings about the location and construction plan for the new tank.
Following continued opposition to another tank site further south on Telescope Mountain, and as suggested by the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission, the RWA retained a consulting firm which worked with the RWA Capital Planning & Delivery team during the past 18 months analyzing over 100 potential sites.
In addition to the review of various sites, RWA consultants also reviewed the sizing of the tank which, based on current consumption forecasts and some distribution system improvements, can be reduced from a 2‑million gallon tank to a 1‑million gallon tank.
The site under consideration is an approximate 2‑acre portion of the Derby High School Campus, located at the northern end of the property at Nutmeg Avenue and Chatfield Street.
This site achieves the required fire flows in currently deficient areas, requires minimal water main extensions, which will cause the least disruption during construction in the area, and is in a non-residential area.
“This new location not only addresses the concerns presented by the community and our customers, it also addresses important water storage issues for the Ansonia-Derby Area,” said Ted Norris, RWA’s Vice President of Asset Management.
Once the design is further along, the RWA will mail letters to the neighbors to inform them of the new plan and will host an informational meeting to answer any questions the community may have.
In order to provide the community with up-to-date information throughout the process, the RWA has developed a website specifically dedicated to the CWT project.
This website can be viewed at www.communitywatertank.com.
Norris continued to say, “The Authority looks forward to working with the City of Derby to move the CWT project forward over the next several months.”
The Regional Water Authority supplies water and related services to 430,000 consumers in 15 communities in the greater New Haven area, including Ansonia, Derby and Seymour. It owns and protects over 27,000 acres of watershed land and provides a wide array of educational and recreational opportunities to the community.
