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Candlewood Lake Area

In January 2018, the Brookfield WPCA received correspondence from the Town Sanitarian and the Director of Health regarding their recommendations to take the necessary steps to provide sanitary sewers to the Candlewood Shores peninsula including Candlewood Shores Tax District, Arrowhead Point, Hickory Hills, and Candlewood Orchards, citing restrictive lot sizes, undersized septic systems, and nutrients from septic drain fields feeding algae blooms in the lake. In December 2018 Lombardo & Associates was hired by the WPCA to conduct a study of the wastewater management issues/needs in the areas of concern.  Note: the Brookfield WPCA was awarded a 55% grant from CT DEEP to conduct this study. In December of 2021 CDM Smith was hired by the WPCA to develop proposed engineering plans to install sewers in the Candlewood Lake Area (as well as the Dean/Pocono Road area), in connection with this study, to consider feasible options. In September 2022, a Public Informational Hearing was held to inform the public of the study’s progress and received questions and feedback.  More recently, an additional public hearing was held on November 13, 2023 to have the study conducted by CDM Smith presented to the community and to discuss potential actions, as well as receive comments from the public.   

To conlcude the Sanitary Sewer Extension Study the WPCA is conducting a survey to gauge public interest in potential sanitary sewer extension projects to any of these neighborhoods. 

Please click on the following link to complete the survey online: https://form.jotform.com/240594948509066

Alternatively, you can download the form and return it to CDM Smith via mail, or fax.

Fax: 860-290-7845

Mail: CDM Smith, 101 East River Drive, Suite 1A, East Hartford, CT 06108

Note: Some of these are layman-friendly while others are very technical documents. Expertise in Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Engineering and the like are useful to grasp some of the concepts. Click on images to download these papers.

​Since the April 2020 Newsletter was published some questions have been asked. See Real Questions from 2020-21.

Subsequently, the WPCA has applied to CT DEEP to for Clean Water Funds. CT DEEP has agreed to fund this $1,500,000 project at 55%

The Sept 14, 2022 Informational Public Hearing was live streamed. It can be viewed at this link
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe10fHPwRxmDQ9oxitmqn3g

See submitted over 250 Questions with Initial Responses. (Download PDF 24 pages)
Q&A_FOR_PUBLIC_INFO_SESSION_091422.pdf

New questions asked during the meeting will be captured and should be answered by the team by early October.

Further questions can be asked via email using CandlewoodLake@brookfieldwpca.org

Updated September 16, 2022

Engineering Agreement

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Engineering Agreement:
Download the engineering agreement and work plan approved by CT DEEP for a 55% Clean Water Fund Planning Grant. The purpose is to develop the sewer system designs for the Candlewood Peninsula and Dean Road areas at a greater cost-share by the state than the conventional 20% Clean Water Fund construction grant—a savings to Brookfield of over $500,000. The 45% difference will be provided in the form of a loan from the WPCA to be repaid when the project is funded by a Bond.
The field work starts second quarter 2022

Description
A 23-page agreement.
The work plan starts at page 14. What’s next?
Sewer extension approval process outline
December 2021

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Brookfield Health Director and WPCA Report:
Evidence of Candlewood Lake Contamination from Septic Systems in Brookfield

Description
A 2-page summary report.
April 2022Also see the discussion with satellite pictures showing clear evidence of Phosphorous contamination from septic systems.

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Newsletter

Description
A 4-page layman overview in summarizing the study fact-finding and recommendations.
April 2020

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Town Sanitarian Letter
January 2018

Description
A letter by the Town Sanitarian and Director of Health with a recommendation to provide sewers in the study area.

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Follow up report on study area:
Impact of Sewers on Well Water Supply
[See 43 Page Report…]
Brookfield Study Task 3 Report 67-pages
Brookfield Study Task 3 Report 57-pages
Without 10 page list properties in the study area.

Description
A 67-page report in covering the final fact-finding and recommendations.
April, 2020

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Candlewood Peninsula Boring Report
Quoting:
The data suggests that rock and dewatering, while in localized areas will be required, should not have a significant impact on project costs to cause adding additional allowances as part of the project budget cost estimates.

Description
A 13-page memo in covering limited initial boring work on the peninsula.
December, 2020

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Candlewood Lake Watershed
Septic Survey Report
(Brookfield)
Survey Comments Grouped (6-pages)

Description
An 9-page document summarizing Brookfield septic survey results with 575 participating. The report includes a narrative plus conclusions and recommendations. April 2, 2020
Comments by property owners are in a separate document

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Brookfield Study Task 1 Report

Description
A 89-page report covering the initial fact-finding for the entire study. See the 2-page executive summary. Updated April 20, 2020

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Area Well Water Testing
Summary Results-EXHIBIT A
September 2019

Description
Supporting Detail:
Arrowhead-EXHIBIT B
Candlewood Shores-EXHIBIT C

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Study Grant Approved by CT DEEP

Description
Grant Submission Accepted by CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Brookfield Study Task 1 Maps

Description
The sixteen (16) color maps for the Task 1 Report are in a separate document. They can be viewed online. They can also be printed on 17×22 tabloid or legal paper for better viewing.
This is a 140 MB file updated December 2019

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Area Well Water Testing
Summary Results-EXHIBIT A
September 2019

Description
Supporting Detail:
Arrowhead-EXHIBIT B
Candlewood Shores-EXHIBIT C

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Cluster Wastewater Planning
EPA Handbook by LAI

Description
A US EPA document used across the country prepared by the engineers on this project, Lombardo Associates, Inc

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Phosphorus Geochemistry in Septic Systems

Description
The fate of Phosphorus from septic systems
A technical document.

Candlewood Lake Study Document
FirstLight Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)
This plan was approved August 2019 by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FREC)

Description
The plan is designed to promote the protection, preservation and improvement of environmental values into the future mostly through land management. Section VII. a) reads “FirstLight does not have … jurisdiction over public health and water quality. Therefore, the CTDPH, local health departments, CT DEEP and any other jurisdictional bodies are primarily responsible for public health and water quality … on and in [Candlewood Lake].

Candlewood Lake Study Document
Partial Sponsorship by Brookfield WPCA

Description
Why is the Brookfield WPCA partially sponsoring this project at 45% with a 55% CT DEEP grant?