As rain poured from the sky and Lake Whitney waters rushed to the falls, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal reflected on humanity’s dependence on clean water — and announced that $40 million of Connecticut’s incoming federal infrastructure dollars will go towards reconstructing Lake Whitney Dam.
Blumenthal celebrated the “historic” passing of the recently passed $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill from the safety of Regional Water Authority’s Whitney Water Purification Facility Friday morning by highlighting a piece of local history history: The dam built 160-years-ago when Eli Whitney’s son first created “Lake Whitney” from the Mill River.
“As we know, in Connecticut flooding is not an imaginary fear. It happens,” Blumethal said. “Rehabilitating and reconstructing facilities like the dam here at Lake Whitney is essential to prevent flooding and to ensure water quality in this area.”
An estimated $445 million is flowing into Connecticut through the bill over five years specifically for drinking water infrastructure investments, Blumenthal stated.
The dam is one known project that RWA Vice President Ted Norris said he hopes to begin near the end of 2022 — after the nonprofit receives internal approvals as well as the go-ahead from Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Nora Grace-Flood Photo
U.S. Sen. Blumenthal at Friday’s Lake Whitney presser.
Of RWA’s four water treatment plants, Lake Whitney is the second largest. It generates 80 million gallons of water each day, which provides around 120,000 customers throughout southern Connecticut with clean water.
It is also considered a “high hazard” dam by the state.
Because the dam was built more than 150 years ago, it is filled with rubble, boulders, and stone, which are not cemented together. If a breech in the dam were to occur, Norris said, any subsequent flooding downstream would be “catastrophic.”
To comply with modern dam codes, take into account changing weather conditions, and preserve the historical integrity of the original structure, RWA intends to build a solid concrete dam immediately adjacent and upstream to the current one. In other words, a new dam will be added and the old one upheld.
Once construction begins, the project should take about three years to complete. Norris said that RWA’s services would be uninterrupted during that time period.
“The hope is there will be a dam that can survive another 150 years,” Blumenthal said, making a prediction: In 3025, we won’t be around for the next infrastructure bill used to restore the Lake Whitney Dam.
Good news. Would like RWA to go a step further and assist Hamden/CT in turning the Olin Powder Farm into an open space, public park for Hamden residents, and residents from surrounding towns to enjoy.
Jay Kaye