wpca Cleaning Trumbull's shit 021

750,000 gallons of raw sewage released into Beardsley Park
BRIDGEPORT -- About 750,000 gallons of raw sewage cascaded into Beardsley Park after construction crews struck a sewage main last Thursday. Crews were able to quickly contain the sewage and direct it to a nearby manhole, but some of it seeped into Bunnell's Pond.

"We notified DEP immediately and they were on site today," Elaine Ficarra, spokesman for the Bridgeport mayor's office, said Friday. "As I understand it, right now everyone is working cooperatively to fix the problem and get the system back to normal."

The sewer system was operating normally by the early evening on Friday, but the question remains whether Bridgeport or Trumbull will foot the bill for the repairs, which Trumbull assistant sewer administrator Joseph Solemene estimated will be at least $30,000.

"Bridgeport took the position that since it was our pipe, we need to handle the repair," Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst said. Herbst objected responsibility because he said Trumbull pays a hefty monthly fee to Bridgeport for it to process its sewage and because the accident happened in Bridgeport.

The state Department of Transportation hired a contractor to put in a new traffic signal at the intersection of Parkview and Sylvan avenues. The contractor's crews were drilling into the ground with an auger when they struck a 20-inch ductile iron main that carries 1 to 3 million gallons of sewage from Trumbull's main pump station to Bridgeport for processing.

"It looked like a geyser, like a waterfall cascading out of the ground," Solemene said.

The Trumbull Water and Public Sewer Authority hired another contractor to construct an above ground, 15-inch pipe to bypass the sewage while repairs were made. "It is our pumping station, so we had to make the fix," Solomene said. "The bypass, it was a major expense, but it was our responsibility to make sure it got done. Still, Trumbull is the innocent party here."

Herbst said Bridgeport's response to the accident concerned him and he is wary of working with Bridgeport to create a regional sewage authority. The authority would also include Monroe.

Trumbull's sewage treatment contract with Bridgeport ends June 30, 2012. Besides entering into a regional sewer authority with the city, Trumbull can build its own sewage treatment plant or send its sewage to Fairfield or Stratford instead
Story from the Connecticut Post Vinti Singh

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