ANSONIA – Ansonia’s sewers may soon be privatized, following a vote by the Aldermen to negotiate its sale with the largest water utility company in Connecticut.
On Tues. Feb. 13, the Aldermen voted to enter into negotiations with Aquarion to sell the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) wastewater treatment facility on North Division St. to Aquarion, a subsidiary of Eversource Energy, currently controls the public water supply for around sixty towns in Connecticut, including Seymour and Beacon Falls.
An appraisal by ScottMadden Inc. last October placed the value of the WPCA at $54 million, though it said its fair market value may be anywhere from $40 million to $71 million.
The city put out a request for qualifications last December. Aquarion was the only respondent to this request. Their response does not include a suggested purchase price – it simply signaled their interest in and ability to guarantee water access for the city.
In 2022, Aquarion offered Derby $18 million in cash for that city’s WPCA, along with making $32 million in repairs.
Now that the Aldermen have voted to enter negotiations, Aquarion will be expected to come back with a price.
“What we would anticipate is that, because of course we put out our appraisal in the beginning, that they would continue their analysis and make a demand,” Ansonia corporation counsel John Marini said during the meeting.
Ansonia WPCA Chairman Sean Masi said his group had not been included in the sale consideration so far.
The Ansonia WPCA facility last received upgrades in 2011. Since then, a lack of maintenance has caused several pieces of equipment to fail, according to an Aquarion report from a January site visit. It found that one of its two grit pumps — which pump out abrasive materials like sand and stone -– was not operational, as well as one of its two effluent pumps, which pump greywater.
The facility currently has three full-time employees and is looking for a fourth. In the WPCA’s January meeting, WPCA Superintendent Jason St. Jacques said it needs eight employees to run properly.
Aquarion itself may soon be up for sale. Click here for a story from The CT Mirror.
The Ansonia WPCA’s challenges in dealing with aging equipment will likely lead to increased rates for residents regardless of a sale, according to recent WPCA meeting minutes, though an updated fee schedule has not yet been published.
Marini said in January that any sale of the WPCA would be a long process, likely taking years to complete. The next step is for Aquarion to name a price to the city.
