Officials in one Connecticut community are working to reduce phosphorous concentrations.

Officials in Southington, Connecticut, said this week that they are growing increasingly optimistic about fighting phosphorous levels in local water sources. The community was previously working with nearby towns and cities in an effort to fight against expensive phosphorous regulations that critics said would unfairly impact local governments. However, negotiations with state officials have yielded positive results over the past few weeks, officials said.

There are a number of ways to treat affected waterways, with some municipalities employing alum for blue green algae elimination, but the cash-strapped town requires financial assistance to carry out such initiatives.

Southington town manager Garry Brumback noted that the town's efforts to lobby lawmakers to overhaul proposed rules were beginning to work. He said that the town has moved closer to being eligible for grant funding that would help finance its phosphorous removal efforts. Brumback noted the town has had talks with officials from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Officials from the state oversight agency are open to shifting their approach to the regulations, he said.

"I am cautiously optimistic," Brumback affirmed. "The state legislature has already agreed to change the word nitrogen to nutrient. It's a move that would open up a possibility for the town to receive a 30 percent reimbursement."

Brumback's latest remarks stand in stark contrast to those he made earlier in the year. The Southington official had initially said the town was mulling whether to challenge a requirement that would force its Water Pollution Control Facility to make renovations. The upgrade project would have been necessary because of state rules mandating a reduction in phosphorous levels to 0.2 milligrams per liter.

The state is working to cut phosphorous concentrations in water sources as a means of improving water quality in the Quinnipiac River, which has become increasingly polluted over the past decade. High phosphorous concentrations in waterways helps spur the growth of blue green algae blooms, which effectively deplete oxygen levels in water sources and are harmful to humans and animal and marine life.

Connecticut lawmakers ruled last month that the DEEP must work more closely with towns and cities in an effort to battle rising chemical levels in the river. As a result, Brumback said he expected to meet with officials from the organization over the coming weeks to discuss possibly lessening such stringent requirements.

 

Posted on March 29th, 2012 under Agricultural Runoff, Lake and Pond Algae Control, Wastewater News, Water Regulations