The mayors of Ansonia and Derby met Friday (Feb. 21) to start discussions on whether it makes sense to combine the city’s waste water treatment facilities.
Officials from both cities said after the meeting the question is still a long way from being answered.
Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto told the Valley Indy Friday she still has to talk to city Aldermen and the city’s Water Pollution Control Authority about the concept, but Friday’s meeting at least got the ball rolling.
Chris Tymniak, Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti’s chief administrative officer, told the Valley Indy Friday that Ansonia is “100 percent” behind the concept of regionalizing waste water treatment facilities.
“It’s not rocket science,” Tymniak said, noting consolidating sewage treatment between the cities could save both money in the long run. “It makes sense to regionalize.”
The next step is to have a “feasibility study” done on whether the concept could work, how it would work, how much it would cost to implement, etc.
Officials said the Valley Council of Governments is pursuing a grant to fund the cost of the feasibility study, estimated at about $300,000.
Tymniak also emphasized the concept is in its early stages, and that the study would not cost either municipality money.
“Derby’s not committed to anything, we’re not committed to anything, it’s in its infancy,” Tymniak said.
Dugatto said that regardless of whether Derby combines waste water treatment with Ansonia, the city still has to deal with major infrastructure issues within its sewer system.
The city’s WPCA was gearing up for a multi-million dollar referendum last year, but the vote never came to fruition. The total bill for the improvements is in the neighborhood of $30 million. Those repairs are needed regardless of the discussions with Ansonia.
In September, then-Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe held a press conference to announce he wanted to explore regionalizing waste water treatment plants.
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Part of the incentive for Ansonia, mentioned at the time — the hope that combining with Derby would bring down the annual $270 payments Ansonia residents are stuck with after a $50 million sewage treatment plant upgrade.
However, Dugatto stressed Friday that Derby isn’t getting into a situation where Derby residents would be paying Ansonia bills.
“Everyone thinks that if we connect, we’re going to pay their bills. That’s not true. We’re going to have our own bills to pay,” Dugatto said.
Connecting the treatment plants is a separate, long-term issue — possibly a way to save money for future generations, Dugatto said.
The matter could come up for discussion at a Derby Board of Aldermen meeting scheduled for Thursday (Feb. 27).
