Jun 8, 2007
Darien pump malfunction leads to sewage spill
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A mechanical failure at the town pumping station on the Post Road resulted in hundreds of gallons of sewage spilling into some residents’ yards on Tuesday, May 29.
The failure caused all three pumps at the station to shut down at about 6:30 a.m. Bob Steeger, Public Works director, told The Darien Times on Tuesday that by about 7:15 a.m. the problem was realized and fixed.
He also said that “in the interim there was some sewage, no solids, just liquids, that spilled onto some properties.”
When affected property owners on Crimmins Road discovered the standing water in their yards, they contacted the town, which told them to leave it and that it would eventually evaporate. Steeger said the sewage was gone by about 10:30 a.m.
The residents think the sewage isn’t the only problem; that they weren’t told about it is a concern. Vanessa Wood, of 27 Crimmins Road, said that she called the town at about 8:30 a.m. to find out some answers. It was only after contacting the town that she was told what the situation was.
“My take now is that I would just like to be informed,” she told The Darien Times on Tuesday. The town doesn’t “tell you when things happen. We wake up with all this water in our backyard and realize it hadn’t rained. Then we don’t find out what it is until we contact [the town].”
“Generally, a limited situation like that, to be frankly honest, the property owner usually knows about this before we do,” Steeger said. “In this case, we knew about it first.
“Did we feel it necessary to call these people up at 7 in the morning, or go knocking on their doors? I guess you could argue that.”
Steeger also said a representative from Public Works met with two of the property owners that day, and they discussed the situation.
A locking manhole was installed to prevent the problem from occurring again.
Wood’s husband, Geoff, sent First Selectman Evonne Klein an e-mail on Thursday, May 31, informing her of the problem and asking why the situation wasn’t treated differently and with more concern for the property owners.
“I find it absolutely reprehensible that the town of Darien allows this to happen and when they are aware of the spillage they make no attempt to contact the affected property owners to warn them and they make no attempt to notify other town departments that may be affected,” he wrote.
Vanessa Wood said on Tuesday that Klein’s response was that “it was being handled.”
“I’m getting to the point where I say, ‘Well, this is just typical Darien,’ and I just sort of shake my head,” she said.
“It is unfortunate that this happened, but as with all things mechanical, these things do happen,” Steeger said.
E-mail Darien Times reporter Austin Amoroso at aamoroso@darientimes.com.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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