Stratford WPCA OKs geotechnical borings, moves to finalize Ryan's Lane pump station design

The Town of Stratford Water Pollution Control Authority on a February 2025 meeting authorized consultant BL to perform geotechnical borings and to finalize bid specifications for relocating the Ryan's Lane pump station closer to Main Street, the authority's chair and town engineer said.

Town Engineer Casey told the authority the project designer, DL Companies, is working under a DECD grant and has recommended GA Fleet as the vendor whose prepackaged pump-station products would form the basis for the bid specifications. "They are selecting GA Fleet, to be the vendor who will help them put together the specification and then the products that GA Fleet represents would be the basis for the design," Casey said. He added that the designer must "put into this bid specification what the criteria will be, what we expect, what are what the minimum requirements would be."

Why it matters: finalizing the specification and performing geotechnical borings are steps required before the project can go to competitive bid and before a contractor can purchase and install equipment. Casey said the work will allow the designer to complete the layout, the technical specifications and the geotechnical report needed to finish design.

Casey described the pump stations under consideration as prepackaged units with precast wet wells and precast buildings that are fitted for piping and electrical equipment, rather than custom-built units. He said DL Companies and a third-party reviewer have evaluated vendors and recommended GA Fleet.

Casey also said the gravity sewer alignment has been revised to reduce crossings of Main Street. He described a change to bring the gravity sewer on the east side of Main Street on the property perimeter rather than running it down the middle of the road. "So that will save costs would be less sewer, would be less crossing into Main Street and, be easier to construct," Casey said, adding that the authority placed one caveat on the layout but concurred with the recommendation to proceed.

The authority voted to authorize BL to proceed with borings and the preparation of pump-station specifications. The chair recorded the motion, a second and a voice vote; members present said "aye" and the motion carried. The meeting also approved the minutes of the authority's Jan. 27, 2025 meeting by voice vote.

Plant Superintendent Hyde reported no action items. Town Attorney Marino did not attend; the chair said Marino had no updates. The authority scheduled its next meeting for March 24, 2025.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve minutes of WPCA meeting held Jan. 27, 2025 — motion seconded; voice vote "aye"; outcome: approved.

- Motion to authorize BL to proceed with geotechnical borings and to prepare pump-station specifications for the Ryan's Lane relocation project — motion seconded; voice vote "aye"; outcome: approved.