Hartford residents worry amid massive summer rain deluge

Tension bubbled to the surface as Metropolitan District Commission officials presented information to residents on the organization’s North Hartford projects and work to have homeowners sign up for assessment appointments for two programs intended to help address flooding an sewage overflow issues.

Residents particularly questioned the MDC’s plans to solve the overall issue of street flooding, saying planned sump pumps backwater valves would only provide some relief, as MDC’s Chief Executive Officer Scott W. Jellison said upcoming North Hartford projects will not be able to stop the street flooding.

“We are going to use belts and suspenders to protect your home. I can’t stop a foot of water coming through your foundation window. I can’t stop a foot of water coming through your garage door,” Jellison told residents who gathered at a meeting this week at Parker Memorial Community Center. “If you have a garage under your home, I can’t stop water flowing down the street. But what we will stop is the sewer backing up into your home that’s being overwhelmed by storm water mixing with that system.”

The complaints about flooding have continued as rain continues to deluge the city and state. Gov. Ned Lamont and his administration a month ago announced the commitment of $85 million from the state Clean Water Fund and related funding for a pilot program that will address sewage overflows in streets and basements.

The Clean Water Fund is administered by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to provide financial assistance to municipalities for projects addressing wastewater. The money will be applied to 12 projects proposed by the MDC to increase protections from sewer and stormwater-related flooding and backups in North Hartford, with the projects estimated to cost $170 million in total.

‘It’s like a swamp’: Hartford residents share the reality of living with flooded homes and businesses

Resident Elijah El-Hajj-Bey, who formerly worked with the MDC, told Jellison and his staff at the meeting that they need to focus on containing the water.

“We are still not stopping the water in the streets. This is not in the basement. This is my backyard. This is not in the basement,” El-Hajj-Bey said.

MDC’s Chief Executive Officer Scott W. Jellison showing residents an example of what flooding will look like in their home with and without backwater valves and sump pumps.

Sharon Lewis, who is a resident and executive director of the CT Coalition for Environmental Justice expressing her anger about the treatment she has received from the MDC regarding flooding in her home.

Deidre Montague

MDC’s Chief Executive Officer Scott W. Jellison making presentation to update community members on their North Hartford projects and encourage them to sign up for assessment appointments.

“The problem is not putting in a bathroom in the basement…we are beyond that point. You can no longer put bathrooms in the basement. We need to start containing the water,” he said. “That’s what you need to start focusing on. And stop all of these sale points, because you have too much water running from West Hartford, which is the last city or member on the MDC committee.”

“The solution is how do we contain the water, because it’s getting to a point…we had a 150-year storm. That’s about nine feet of water,” he said, noting he believes development without water containment contribute to the problem.

Hartford residents see buildings flooded, businesses damaged; ‘Every time the rain falls, my heart beats’

Some residents also said they believe that state and federal agencies had not done a good enough job holding various agencies accountable for work needed to maintain the Park River and end flooding and sewage issues.

In an emailed statement to The Courant, U.S. EPA’s New England Region 1 Office of Public Affairs Jo Anne Kittrell said the EPA remains committed to working with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to address flooding and sewer overflow issues in Hartford.

This “includes reviewing the efforts that MDC has taken in response to concerns that residents have raised. Addressing environmental justice, and the burdens posed by recent rainfall events on overburdened communities is a priority for EPA,” the statement said. “We commend recent efforts by Connecticut to bring additional funding, programs, and attention to address these concerns, and expect to work with CTDEEP to hold MDC accountable to the commitments they have made to the state.”

CT DEEP Media Relations Manager Paul Copleman said, also in an emailed statement, that work in Hartford related to the combined sewer system, which is funded by DEEP’s Clean Water Fund, undergoes an extensive review process to assure that it conforms to appropriate engineering standards, goes through an open bidding process, and meets goals of work done by minority and women contractors.

“DEEP monitors all payment requests associated with funded projects for consistency with Clean Water Fund regulations, and when necessary, has held entities accountable within the scope of its authority,” the statement said. “DEEP understands the critical nature of projects to address North End sewer flooding and has been expediting technical review of the projects, including review and approval of plans and specifications, to promote expedited implementation and state funding.”

Sharon Lewis, a city resident and executive director of the CT Coalition for Environmental Justice, said she has endured a lot of setbacks for the past few months since she was impacted by sewage and water on Dec. 4, 2022. The house is still condemned; she had no insurance for sewage backups, she said.

During the MDC presentation meeting, Lewis cited her concerns about the MDC’s reaction to her situation.

MDC’s Director of Operations Dave Rutty noted the services provided to Lewis; which she refuted. Rutty also said the MDC did offer her the backwater valve program and that she would have to make an appointment and participate in that and other services.

Resident Ken Drakes said he is perturbed about flooding issues not being addressed fully and is tired of the city of Hartford, the MDC, and CTDEEP pointing the finger at one another.

Jellison explained they are planning to meet and are working on various designs; Drakes said he has heard this before at other meetings.

“That’s all I hear. That’s one phrase that you guys are good at. ‘I’m working on it,’” Drakes said.

Jellison said that he does agree with Drakes that the river needs to be dredged.

“This is my last meeting. I’m not coming here anymore,” Drakes said. “I’m wasting my time by coming in here…”

Jellison reiterated that they are working with the city of Hartford and doing everything they can, as they are partnering with the city and spending $900,000 to do a drainage study of the North Branch of the Park River and the Granby/Blue Hill areas.

Evelyn Green said that her issue with this study is that it is going to take a significant amount of time and there should be interim plans to handle some of the groundwater.

Hartford Director of the Department of Public Works Michael Looney said that they are working with the state Department of Transportation to get another outfall that would go under the railroad tracks from Granby Street to the Park River to provide some additional relief.

Jellison told residents that the flooding issues are a problem that has occurred over 100 years.

“It didn’t happen yesterday. It’s a very, very expensive problem that not just Hartford is dealing with. West Hartford, Newington, Wethersfield, they’re all dealing with this very same problem,” he said.

Jellison said that it is not the MDC’s responsibility to dredge the river.

“It’s a part of your flood control system – the river. There’s seven pump stations in the city of Hartford, that pump storm water into the Connecticut River (and other rivers). And so that body of water is a component of the flood control system, which is controlled by the flood commission of the city of Hartford. So we don’t have control over that,” he said.

Green said that overall, she and her husband, community leader Kenneth Green, encourage residents to take advantage of the programs MDC has to offer, as they have seen a difference on on Granby Street, which has had its sewers separated.

However, she noted the storms are getting bigger and more frequent and wonders why various agencies can’t pump water off the street and dump it later.

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