The University of Connecticut and part of Mansfield will soon receive up to 2.2 million more gallons of water per day, thanks to the Conn. Office of Policy and Management, which approved the plan for an additional water supply.
Approval from the Office of Policy and Management has opened the door for UConn, the town of Mansfield and the water company to negotiate a contract and work toward obtaining a permit with the state Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection, according to a release from the University of Connecticut.
University officials said the Connecticut Water Company was chosen out of three contenders to build a five-mile pipeline from Tolland to Storrs. The pipeline could be up and running as soon as 18 months after all necessary permits are obtained.
The water company will fund the $21 million project. Both other companies considered would have required UConn to pay tens of millions of dollars to construct the pipeline, according to the release.
UConn officials said the Connecticut Water Company was found to be the “most environmentally sound and least costly option.”
Last month, the UConn Board of Trustees endorsed the Connecticut Water Company as the university’s preferred candidate of the three options.
Connecticut Water Company rates should be consistent with those currently offered to off-campus UConn students and people living in the area.
