HARTFORD, Conn. — A bill that would reimburse residents who paid to fix property damage due to flooding and sewer backups will not be moving forward as proposed. The bill included oversight of the Metropolitan District or MDC which provides and sewer services to the City of Hartford.
The MDC provides water and sewer services to Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, Windsor Bloomfield, Newington, Wethersfield, and Rocky Hill. MDC provides services to portions of East Granby, South Windsor, Farmington, and Glastonbury.
Flooding has plagued Hartford’s north end for several years and residents say they’re tired of the lack of action by those in power. Residents say the solution is simple.
"Fix the sewer and pay the people," said Bridgitte Prince, a resident advocating for improvements.
“There's no sewage overflows in the south end of Harford on Franklin Avenue because they fixed that,” said Prince. “What I would like to see is for them to take the part of the bill and SB 1139 where they said but as of July 1, we're going to start paying the residents. The residents need to be made whole. I would like to see the MDC get out there and honor their consent decrees and honor the terms of their own clean water project."
State lawmakers say the current proposal may not move forward as written but are committed to getting the job done.
“We had a proposal that we're really looking at ethics reform at the MDC, and that is very important. But right now, the focus is shifting just a little bit in terms of helping folks who have been impacted by flooding, sewage overflows, and that's in Hartford, West Hartford and really across the MDC district, so we're pivoting a little bit,” said Senator Derek Slap who Co-sponsored the bill.
Sen. Slap believes it will move forward in a different capacity.
“We're looking at either an amendment or probably a larger bill, but you know, the issues remain, and we just really need to work hard over the next four weeks,” said Slap.
The Connecticut General Assembly is set to adjourn June 7.
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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