NEW HAVEN, Conn — Rain can often prevent folks from enjoying the beach in more ways than one. But, as we trudge through one of the wettest July's on record in Connecticut, New Haven continues to work on making things go swimmingly in the future.
Like clockwork, when coastal communities experience heavy rainfall, officials often must prohibit swimming due to unacceptable levels of bacteria in the Long Island Sound.
"Anything from different runoffs, animal feces, the seagulls to dog waste," said Maritza Bond, New Haven's Health Director. "Things of that nature and then also our combined sewage overflow."
Typically, older cities like New Haven have piping systems where the wastewater and stormwater combine in the same pipe. And that's trouble during big rains.
"There’s so much water that those pipes can’t handle the amount of water and the system ends up leaking out or being poured into the Long Island Sound or our waterways," said Mayor Justin Elicker (D-New Haven).
In response, New Haven has been working with the water pollution control authority to separate out the stormwater and wastewater flow with separate piping.
"As you can imagine it takes an incredible amount of time because they have to dig up the street and bring all new piping and it’s very, very expensive but the water pollution control authority has been doing that over time."
During the summer months, following heavy rains, the waters at Lighthouse Point Park beach are tested three times per week.
"Hopefully by the weekend we'll have the beaches reopened," Bond said.
Unlike with many beaches, in New Haven, there is a silver lining beneath the gloomy weather.
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