Flooding, sewage overflow impacts residents in Hartford’s north end

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - Hartford residents and business owners said they have been dealing with flooding and overflowing septic tanks for years.

They met on Tuesday to bring attention to the issue and called on environmental agencies to stop it.

One north end resident said 73,000 gallons of sewage spilled into her home in early December.

“My entire house, to this day, smells like sewage,” said Sharon Lewis of Hartford.

The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) is responsible for providing drinking water and sewer services to the Hartford area.

When Lewis called the MDC, she said it did not come out to investigate the issue until Jan. 12. She has been living in a hotel.

“The water is running, the guy’s are walking through it. Really nasty, they had hazmat suits on from head to toe,” Lewis said.

Business owners in the north end said they have been dealing with the same issue for years. They said when it rains, that is when the septic flood starts.

“The children walk and play in the sewage area, and this will sound shocking to anybody that will listen because it’s absolutely unacceptable, but it’s the reality of what we live in,” said Star Hardware owner Max Kothari.

According to a spokesperson for the MDC, they were not invited to Tuesday’s meeting. Officials from the MDC still attended the meeting to hear resident’s and business owner’s concerns.

“The meeting was publicized as a discussion between officials from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and residents,” says an MDC spokesperson in a statement on the meeting.

“Ultimately, the EPA did not attend the meeting, apparently, according to meeting organizer Bridgette Prince, because EPA did not commit to a public meeting with news media present.”

The MDC released a full statement responding to concerns brought up during Tuesday’s meeting. The full statement can be read here.

Residents said the Environmental Protection Agency is planning to come out next week to assess the damage.

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