When rain falls in Windsor, stormwater makes its way into the 135 mile town sewer system through cracks in aging sewer pipes, drainage connections from down spouts, basement sump pumps, and yard drains. In addition, Connecticut River flooding inundates the sewer system. While some of Northern Windsor’s wastewater goes to the Poquonock Water Pollution Treatment Facility for treatment, a large portion is combined with flow from five other towns and sent south to the Harford facility. With so many towns contributing additional rainwater to the system, the Harford facility becomes overwhelmed, causing basement backups and discharges of raw sewage to local water bodies and the Connecticut River.

• To prevent stormwater from entering the sewer system, improvements that have been made in Windsor to eliminate drainage connections.
• Improvements to the sewer system including lining 19 miles of old cracked sewer pipes.
• Approximately 115 sewer manholes have been rehabilitated or replaced. 

Future improvements include:

• Additional sewer pipe lining and manhole repairs.
• A relief sewer to improve system capacity in the southern portions of Windsor.
• Homeowner drainage connections to the sewer system are being disconnected in order to prevent infiltration of groundwater into the sewer system.