Torrington council approves $11.6 million appropriation, authorizes bonds for Harris Drive pump-station upgrade

The Torrington City Council and the Water Pollution Control Authority voted unanimously June 15 to appropriate $11,575,144 for the Harris Drive Pump Station Upgrade and authorized the issuance of revenue bonds or notes not to exceed $9,975,144 to finance the project. WPCA Administrator Ed Tousey told the council the current estimate is roughly $11 million and that a 20% Clean Water grant would lower the city’s share, translating to an estimated increase of about $24 per sewer user unit.

"That is an estimate," Tousey said, adding that the per-unit cost could fall if the project comes in under estimate at bid or if additional users connect to the system. Project Manager Lisa Muscanell-DePaola of Wright‑Pierce Engineering said the higher figure in the resolution compared with the Capital Improvement Plan reflects that the resolution amount is fully inclusive — covering design, construction administration, full-time inspection and a standard 5% contingency — whereas the CIP figure likely reflected construction-only costs.

Tousey clarified that the Harris Drive pump station serves Torrington residents only and that neighboring towns will not be charged for this capital improvement; he also said Intermunicipal Agreements (IMAs) are structured so shared infrastructure costs are billed only to communities that send flow through the same assets. Councilor Paul Cavagnero reiterated a long-standing concern that historic IMAs have not always fully recovered Torrington’s costs, including staff time, and asked that future negotiations be conducted with full transparency. Tousey responded that a new IMA with Litchfield was recently passed and negotiations with Harwinton remain in progress.

The council approved two related resolutions: Resolution #143-302 (adopted by the WPCA) and Resolution #143-294 (adopted by the Board of Councilmen and the WPCA), which together authorize the appropriation and the special limited-obligation financing. The resolution text states the bonds will be secured solely by a pledge of WPCA revenues and not by the full faith and credit of the city; it also notes a previously received federal grant of $1,600,000 that will reduce the amount of borrowing needed.

Tousey warned that delaying the project could increase costs further; he estimated construction costs could rise to about $15 million if delayed three years. The next procedural step is to finalize design documents, complete permitting and go out to bid now that the appropriation and financing authorization are in place.