The watershed inspections in West Hartford will begin the week of Sept. 9, and take two to three weeks to complete.

By Ronni Newton

Residents of 10 West Hartford streets that are in the watershed area of the Metropolitan District Commission reservoirs will be visited by MDC Watershed Inspector Mark Singh this month as part of a state-mandated program.

The MDC is required to undertake routine watershed sanitation surveys in accordance with Section 19-13-B102 (b) of the Connecticut Public Health Code. The surveys in West Hartford will begin the week of Sept. 9, and should be completed within two to three weeks.

Inspections take just a few minutes, the MDC said, and will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Singh will be driving an MDC truck, and will wear an identifying badge. He will not need to enter the home, but will inspect the exterior of the property.

The West Hartford streets scheduled for inspection are Albany Avenue (Route 44), Balfour Drive, Old Stone Crossing, Orchard Road, Peaslee Hill, Ritoli Ridge, Squirrel Hill Lane and Road, Uplands Drive, Stoner Drive, and Westmont.

“The purpose of the program, which will continue through November, is to prevent contamination of the MDC’s drinking water supplies as a result of septic system failure, erosion, runoff, and other potential pollutants,” the MDC said in a news release. Property inspections either have been, or will be, conducted in other area towns that are watersheds for the West Hartford reservoir or Reservoir No. 6, including Avon, Simsbury, and Bloomfield.

The MDC said that 1,020 watershed properties were inspected in 2023.

“If a violation or an issue is detected, it is reported to the property owner and health officials as required by law. Property owners may receive more information by contacting the MDC Watershed Management Unit, Barkhamsted Water Supply Division at 860-278-7850 extension 3120,” the news release said.

The MDC has prepared a video about the process which can be viewed on YouTube below.

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