Hartford Regional Water Authority, MDC, votes to Offer Massive Discounts to Super-User Niagara Bottling

 
Proposed Ordinance Changes (W1A and S12X) to the yearly Metropolitan District, which supplies water to 8 member communities in greater Hartford, were passed on March 2, 2020.   The district, which is financially struggling with needed infrastructure repairs, a consent decree to stop its sewage overflows into the CT River, and decreasing water usage, has focused on a  plan to incentivize its one water super-user:  Niagara Bottling of California. The MDC has offered a combined discount- labeled an "economic development rate" although it currently applies to only one industry- of nearly 50% (20% on water rates and 75% on Clean Water Project Charges on  water use averaging over 600,000 gallons/day each month) in its effort to insure Niagara opens a 4th robotic bottling line and maximizes its water use at 1.8 million gallons/day. They also hope to attract more water bottlers as a way to  increase water revenues.  Niagara Bottling has been steadily increasing its water use without the aid of any discounts and the MDC Independent Consumer Advocate cautioned against the ordinance changes. The MDC could lose out on up to $2.6 million/year in revenue that would otherwise result if the private corporation paid residential rates at those same water usage levels. Those funds could be used to more substantially lower resident rates, support the Clean Water Project or subsidize water assistance programs.  See our BLOG for a more detailed analysis.....

Take Back the TAP Connecticut

  • Prohibit discounted water rates and clean water project charges for industrial water bottlers.
  • Establish a permitting system for large commercial water bottling.
  •  Prohibit the export of bottled water out of state when a Drought Warning is in effect.
  • Use a re-usable water bottle and ask your town or school to ban water bottles at its functions.
  • Require all bottled water to be tested for PFAS pollutants.

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What We Support

We are a non-partisan, citizen-led group working to protect CT's public trust waters though increased citizen engagement. We began as Bloomfield Citizens but have become statewide.

​We support citizen advocacy, legislative action and widespread  public education on water policy in order to protect our most critical natural resource. 

Our goal is to ensure enough clean water is available to meet the needs of the citizens of Connecticut, its environment, agriculture, recreation, and  businesses both now and in the future.