One step closer to a reborn water plant
              Courtney moves town’s $1M request through to Appropriations
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The town moved one step closer to a revamped water plant last week when U.S. Representative Joe Courtney’s office passed the town’s request for $1 million on to the Appropriations Committee.
Economic and Community Development Director Mary Ann Chinatti said the plans call for building improvements, repairs and replacement of machinery.
Chinatti said the entire project would cost $4.5 million. The Water Pollution Control Authority’s Brian Lynch has put in for $2.5 million in bonding and he’s asking for the $1 million through this USDA Department of Agriculture Community Services program. Then the town would have to contribute $250,000, which the WPCA has in its budget. 
Lynch has been working on this for more than a year, she said. 
In its application for the funding, the town said the water treatment plant is “in dire need of repairs, replacement and upgrades to its existing equipment. The facility, which came online in 1995 and has a life expectancy of 25 years, is still in operation.”
The town added, “It is critical that the town keep this plant running to help offset its need for water. We currently have a well field that cannot be extended, and we must keep this facility running to produce water for the community.”
The 30-plus year old building on Peake Brook Road, according to CDM Smith, Inc., needs repairs and upgrades and replacement of some equipment. Equipment, piping, controllers, gear boxes, filters need replacement. The engineering report also called for replacement of the backup generator, among other things. 
Courtney’s office, this week, told the town the request has been submitted to the House Appropriation Committee to be considered for inclusion in the fiscal ’27 appropriations legislation. 
Courtney’s office added it is not a guarantee for funding; it is a critical step on the path to securing targeted appropriations for this project. In order to be “officially” secured it has to be approved by both chambers of Congress and then signed into law by the president. The office added they do not anticipate it would be approved by the Oct. 1 start date of the 2027 federal fiscal year. More likely the legislation would be considered toward the end of 2026 or the beginning of the new session of 2027.
At the end of the application, the town said: “This work must be done to ensure continued adequate supply to town residents and businesses. If the town were required to fund the total project cost, that cost would need to be passed on to users of the service, who already are struggling to meet current fees.”

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