News & Events

An aerial map of buildings where all changes were made to the WPFC during this project.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Connecticut (ACEC/CT) named Tighe & Bond the Grand Award Winner during their 2022 Engineering Excellence Awards ceremony. Tighe & Bond received the award for the overhaul and design of the Southington Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF).

The Town of Southington, Connecticut was faced with the challenge of revamping its 7.4 million gallons per day WPCF,  identifying additional areas in need of sewer service, quantifying future flows, and defining a future sewer service area consistent with the requirements of the State of Connecticut’s Plan of Conservation and Development. A major driver of the project was Southington’s need to comply with the State’s new stringent phosphorus requirements by 2022, which limit how much phosphorus can be discharged into the Quinnipiac River.

The Tighe & Bond team evaluated the condition and capacity of the WPCF and then proposed sustainable and economic upgrades to nearly all areas of the facility, as well as a Water Pollution Control Plan and corresponding Sewer Service Area Map for the Town. Some of the more significant upgrades include a new building to house the CoMag© ballasted flocculation phosphorus removal process, a new ultralight disinfection process, and a robust odor control system. The designed upgrades have enabled Southington to remain below the phosphorus limit requirements, increase the reliability and efficiency of the WPCF’s infrastructure, and minimize the impact of facility odors that were affecting surrounding neighborhoods.

The project team’s swift action to implement these improvements, ahead of the 2022 deadline, prevented the Town from losing an estimated $13.9 million dollars in Clean Water Fund grant monies and a 2% interest loan on the balance of the project cost, as well as avoiding significant fines.

Additionally, Tighe & Bond supported the Town’s efforts to educate residents on the importance of this project ahead of a critical referendum vote for funding. The passing of this referendum ensured Southington could move forward with the project by receiving a $17 million-dollar grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), saving taxpayers nearly 30 percent of the project’s cost.