Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
Members cited concerns with unnecessary costs, fairness and intrusiveness, and suggested descriptions of a "sewer police." DARIEN, CT — A proposed ordinance the town says would shed more light on sump pump usage by Darien homeowners and help improve sewer capacity and lower sewer costs faced some criticism this week before the Representative Town Meeting. A vote on the proposed ordinance was tabled for now, with members citing concerns with unnecessary costs, fairness and intrusiveness. The Oct. 27 RTM meeting can be watched on demand on Darien TV79. According to the Darien Sewer Commission, inflow and infiltration into the town's sanitary sewer is adding clean water to the system that should not be there, and illegal sump pump connections to the system are contributing to the problem. Sump pumps that are hooked up to the system and discharging water compromise the capacity of the sanitary sewer system and increase Darien's payments to Stamford, the commission has said. Flow effluent is sent to the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) where it is treated and processed. Darien is charged for every gallon sent to Stamford. "We are paying $1.2 to $1.5 million a year to the city of Stamford to clean clean water," said Darien Director of Public Works Ed Gentile during the RTM meeting. "It's ridiculous." Inflow and infiltration to the sewer system is largely contingent on the amount of rainfall received. Despite an 11 percent decrease in rainfall in Fairfield County for the 12-month period ending July 2025 and Darien homeowners taking in 512 million gallons of water from Aquarion for usage, the town sent 728 million gallons of mixed water effluent to the Stamford WPCA for treatment, or nearly 30 percent, Darien RTM Public Works Committee Chair Rolf Obin said in his committee report to the full legislative body this week. The previous year's excess inflow and infiltration was 54 percent, Obin said. Recent investments into the sanitary sewer infrastructure resulted in a zero percent increase in the sewer rate for FY26. But in order to get a handle on the sump pump usage, a proposed ordinance was created for the abatement of illicit sump pump discharge into public sewers. "This is our next step," Gentile said. "This is how we get more information from you folks." The proposed ordinance would require Darien's 5,400 homeowners to fill out a self-reporting form to indicate whether or not they have a sump pump, and whether it's connected to the sanitary sewer line. Property owners must send the completed form and images of the sump pump pipe connections to the Sewer Commission within 90 days of receiving a cover letter explaining the process. Obin said self-reporting forms would be mailed to homeowners in January, with a reminder in April. If a property owner's sump pump is connected to the sewer line, it must be disconnected and diverted outside within six months of the date the property owner returns their form, the proposed ordinance notes. "This is a matter of public health and safety, reducing wear and tear to the sanitary sewer system, with a focus to controlling or reducing costs and fair use of the sewer system," Obin added. Failure to return a form or to render a pump disconnection can result in a $250 fine, according to the proposed ordinance. When proven, failure to submit "true and honest answers" will be subject to a $250 fine, Obin noted. Notably, the proposed ordinance states, "Authorized Agents of the DPW and the Town of Darien bearing proper credentials and identification shall, upon prior written notice to the owner and only during reasonable business hours, be permitted to enter into any property for the purposes of inspection in order to assess compliance..." "We're looking for information from you. It's not punitive. I'm not looking to bankroll anything. What I'm missing right now is capacity in our sewer system," Gentile said, noting several years ago, the town was cited and sued by Save The Sound and DEEP, which required them to address the inflow and infiltration issue. Gentile said the information received from homeowners will allow him to better monitor the pump stations in low-lying areas that excessively run because of sump pumps, and to map out where sump pumps are installed. Jim Cameron, an RTM member from District IV who is on the legislative body's Public Health and Safety Committee, vehemently opposed the creation of the ordinance, saying it would impose costs on residents who are not part of the issue. "I have a constituent on my street, an elderly woman living on a fixed income, who has lived in the house for 35 years. She claims her sump pump has come on maybe three times in 35 years. She's looking at $500 to $1,000 to come into compliance with your ordinance and she's not the problem," Cameron said. "I find the $250 attention-getting fine as proposed in the ordinance to be onerous and offensive." Cameron said he believes there are members of the public, and even some RTM members, "who have no idea what this ordinance is going to mean to them and their pocketbook." He criticized a public hearing on the proposed ordinance from Sept. 9 that lasted less than five minutes. Obin was the only member of the public to speak. "I think a lot of public hearings in this town are legal, but for show," he added. Mac Patrick, chair of the RTM's Public Health and Safety Committee, said there were concerns among members about an "affidavit mailing plan" to 5,400 sewer households. In committee meetings, Patrick said members also voiced concerns about the intrusiveness of home inspections, with some members suggesting descriptions of a "sewer police."
