Danbury Referendum

October 28, 2018

Dear Friends of Lake Lillinonah:

ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 6, 2018!

IF YOU LIVE IN DANBURY AND CARE ABOUT LAKE LILLINONAH,

THIS YEAR THERE IS A SPECIAL REASON YOU MUST GET OUT TO VOTE.

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This November 6 there will be an issue on the ballot in Danbury of vital importance to those who want to protect and improve the water quality in Lake Lillinonah. There will be a $102 million bond referendum to enable Danbury to proceed with long-delayed upgrades to its waste water treatment plant in order to comply with stricter pollution reduction standards at the plant. As recently reported in the Danbury News Times, Danbury has been ordered to begin these upgrades and if voters turn down the referendum to finance them, “Danbury utilities officials could miss deadlines in their state permits, lose tens of millions of dollars in matching funds for the project, face severe fines and still have to pay for the upgrades anyway.”

Friends of the Lake has been at the forefront of this issue since before 2008.

That’s right . . . we have been fighting this battle for more than ten years.

It has been that long since the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection ordered the city increase its water treatment to remove 98 percent of phosphorous from the water leaving the plant.

THE GOOD NEWS . . .

We believe that these upgrades will have a major impact in improving water quality in Lake Lillinonah and reducing algal blooms caused by an overload of nutrients, such as phosphorous – including blue-green algae which contain toxins that are harmful to humans and animals.

The State of Connecticut has promised to pay 50% of the cost of the upgrades . . .

but only if the city designs and bids the project by next year.

If approved by voters, the city would bid the project next spring and could begin construction next year to complete the improvements by mid-2022.

TO ALL DANBURY RESIDENTS . . .

THE TIME IS NOW TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.

VOTE YES ON NOVEMBER 6 ON THE BOND REFERENDUM!