Water & Sewer

Press Release

October 13, 2022 

The City of Middletown’s Water & Sewer Department and the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) announces a sewer upgrade project to complete sewer improvements and road reconstruction work in the Pameacha Avenue area. This project will replace a 65 year old sewer main along Long Hill Brook and the east bank of Pameacha Pond, replace a 90 year old water main in Pameacha Avenue and make roadway improvements to Pameacha Avenue. This project is not associated with nor includes any work on the Pameacha Pond Dam. 

The City’s contractor for this project is Ludlow Construction and they began preliminary work in September including tree removal and temporary fencing. They will mobilize their equipment and begin the sewer main replacement during the week of October 17th. Their hours of operation will typically be between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm, but may vary as needed. As work progresses, Pameacha Avenue will be closed to traffic in order to complete the roadwork. Traffic on South Main Street and High Street will not be impacted. The project should be complete by the fall of 2023. 

The total costs of this project is approximately $3.0 million, including $2.6 million of water and sewer improvements and almost $400,000 for road reconstruction. 

Water & Sewer Director Joseph Fazzino states, “We want to get this upgrade done as soon as possible. We are mindful of the unresolved issue with the Pameacha Pond Dam so our Department and its consultants have designed the upgrade to work no matter what is decided concerning the Pameacha Dam.” 

WPCA Chairman David Bauer said, “Even though neither the WPCA nor the Water & Sewer Department have control over the fate of the Pameacha Pond Dam, I’m pleased that the Department has designed this project to keep the cost as low as possible for all the customers we serve, no matter what the outcome is for dam.”

General Map for Press Release 10-13-22 Opens in new window Project Location Map

Water Service Pipe Material Survey for Customers

By Theresa Spalletta, Manager of Technical and Regulatory Affairs

The City of Middletown works diligently to ensure the water provided to all their customers is safe.  As part of this effort we are asking for your help to determine the type of water service line (pipe) entering your home.  The Middletown Water Department’s (MWD) records are incomplete prior to 1950.  It is possible that some of these pre-1950 pipes were constructed out of lead or were coated with lead. 

Water service pipes that contain lead materials pose known health risks. MWD is currently creating an inventory of lead service pipes in our system. This inventory will allow us to apply for state and federal funding which will reduce the cost of replacing any lead water service pipes. The removal of service pipes that contain lead will be mandated by the federal government in the next several years and it is our hope that we can address this issue prior to the requirement.

If you live in a home that was built prior to May 1950 or if you are uncertain when your home built, we are asking you to perform a simple inspection of your service pipe.  Please follow the steps on the Inspection Steps for Pipe Material Survey (PDF) to determine the material of your water service pipe. Once completed:

1.    Print this FORM (PDF), fill it out and mail or drop it off the at our office located at 82 Berlin Street, or

2.    Use our electronic form Online Form - Pipe Material Survey for Customers  

Thank you for your cooperation, it is sincerely appreciated.

From the Director,


The Water and Sewer Rates will be going up starting this July 1st, 2022. We have been doing our best to keep the rates at a zero percent increase over the last three years. However, we no longer have a choice but to increase the water and sewer rates slightly. The cost of electricity, fuel, chemicals, wastewater disposal, insurance, labor, etc. have all gone up.   

Your new Water Rates will be $33.99 per 1,000 CF a 2.85 percent increase over the last three years and the sewer rate will be $68.44 per 1,000 CF a 5.8 percent increase over the last three years. This is required even with the water budget being supplemented by 1.2 million dollars in Water Fund Balance and the sewer budget being supplemented by 1.7 million dollars in Sewer Fund Balance contributions. This is a difficult but necessary task in that we are trying to maintain a reserve fund of six months in our Fund Balance.  

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.  

Joseph S. Fazzino, P.E. - Director of the Water and Sewer Department

It’s a Toilet, Not a Trash Can

There has been a significant increase in the use of disinfecting wipes to clean homes and work spaces in an effort to stay healthy.  Please remember that wipes can NOT be flushed down the toilet, even if they are labeled as "disposable" or "flushable". 

do-not-flush

Unlike toilet paper, which breaks down quickly in water, personal, baby and cleaning/disinfecting wipes remain intact and tangle into massive clogs that jam pumps and block pipes.  See the recent EPA News Release on this issue.

Here’s a list of a few other items that should NEVER be flushed down your toilet:

  • Cloth rags or towels
  • Baby wipes, Toilet wipes, Disinfecting wipes, or cloth wipes of any kind
  • Diapers
  • Paper Towels
  • Paper (other than toilet paper/tissue)
  • Medications (Prescription, or over-the-counter)
  • Feminine hygiene products of any kind
  • Beauty products, Q-Tips, dental floss
  • Plastics of any kind
  • "Disposable" contact lenses
  • Grease of any kind – especially cooking grease
  • Garden supplies (such as pesticides, fertilizers)
  • Paint, varnish, paint remover
  • Motor oil, gasoline, or any explosive material

Your help can reduce blockages in pipes which can lead to sewer backups in the environment, the streets or even your home!

Pipeline  - Department Newsletter

The latest news and updates from the Water and Sewer Department.

Water Quality Reports

Review the latest Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).


Water & Sewer Resources

  1. Pipeline - Spring 2016 (PDF)
  2. Pipeline Article Sanitary Sewer Collection System (PDF)
  3. Pipeline Article Sewer Backup (PDF)
  4. Sewer Specifications Gravity (PDF)
  5. Sewer Specifications Low Pressure (PDF)
  6. Site Plan Requirements (PDF)
  7. Water Specifications (PDF)
View All