Solar Proposal for Sewer Plant Heads to Wetlands

A proposal in the works for months to partially run Newtown's wastewater treatment plant on solar energy must receive a wetlands permit before construction can proceed. The Inland Wetlands Commission is scheduled to officially accept the application Tuesday morning.

The project, which , needs regulatory approval because while the equipment will be more than 100 feet away from a nearby brook, part of the solar panel installation will be built in wetlands, disturbing about a 15,000 square-feet section.

Though the field on which the solar panels are proposed eventually would be left as meadow, and no fill material would be carted in or out of the site, the installation work is expected to disturb wetlands in the sizeable 15,000 square-foot section, according to the project's documents.

Wetlands, which are valued for their flood protection, groundwater recharge and ecological diversity, are protected under state law, which gives municipalities the authority to regulate any activitiy in or around them

As part of the solar panel installation, a section of the plant property off of Commerce Road, including the wetlands area, would need to be cleared, graded and trenched, allowing the foundations for the solar panels and trackers to be installed, according to project documents in the land use department.

Once built, the solar panels would provide about 95 kilowatts of direct current energy, which would cover about 30-percent so of the wastewater treatment plants' electrical needs, Public Works Director Fred Hurley said.

While Newtown has solar installations, such as the panels on top of Reed Intermediate School, this would be among the first solar field installations in town.

"This is one of the most exciting projects for the town," Hurley said. "It's technology moving ahead."

Funding for the approximately half-million dollar project comes from about $338,000 in grants issued by The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, which receives its money from a surcharge placed on residential and commercial electric bills, and the rest from a capital reserve fund into which Newtown sewer customers have paid.