New Britain’s Fresh Line Upgrades for Sanitary Health (FLUSH) program and why it matters

The NB FLUSH program, which will be completed in 8-10 phases, aims to reduce the municipal and taxpayer costs associated with separating the storm water that gets in to into sewer lines, protect public health by reducing sewage backups, protect the environment by eliminating wastewater runoff, and promote community growth by increasing sewer capacity for expanded development.?

The $3.2 million first phase of the NB FLUSH program was completed 2020, with the work of this phase being concentrated mostly in the areas surrounding Batterson Park and Belden Street. A review of the data collected after the repairs shows a 41% reduction of flow in the area, proving that these repair efforts make a difference.?

The second phase, a $2.1 million investment, involved work in the southwestern area of town around Stanwood Drive and was completed in 2023. All the sewer mains were lined, and the private Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) connections were completed. ?

Infiltration refers to when storm water seeps into sewage through damaged sewer pipes, and inflow is when storm water flows into sewer pipes in other ways such as through gutter downspouts, storm drains, or maintenance hole covers.?

The third phase is currently under design and is a nearly $14 million investment in the Eastside neighborhood, which will be the largest section of this project to date. It will cover four areas that have been identified as major contributors to the City of New Britain’s inflow and infiltration. ?

Funding for the NB FLUSH program has come from multiple sources so far. The City’s Sewer division is transferring $1 million dollars a year to a fund specifically set up for the repairs to the storm water and sewer system. ?

In 2016 the city signed a consent order to invest $20 million in repairs over the next 10 years, but to address all the major problem areas identified through a sewer flow study the cost to repair all of these areas identified is the range of $90 million. The funding for Phases 1 & 2 came from the reserve account. Phase 3 is being funded by $13.1 million in ARPA funds and a nearly $1 million federal government grant. ??

Future phases of the NB FLUSH program are currently being planned. The City of New Britain will continue seeking grants and federal aid to help with the expenses ahead.?

Note: This post was written by Rachel Zaniewski, Communications Director with the City of New Britain - Mayor's office.