The Farmington Mercury reported in February that the Water Pollution Control Authority was advancing a 3 percent sewer rate increase and had set March 11 as the public hearing date. On March 11, the public hearing opened at 7 p.m. and closed approximately ninety seconds later.
"No comments," the chairman told the board. "No emails. No calls."
The 2026-27 sewer operating budget was approved unanimously. Farmington's residential sewer assessment is now set at $377 per year — up from approximately $366 under the current rate, an increase of roughly $11 annually. Commercial customers will pay $3.27 per 100 cubic feet of water used in calendar year 2026. Both reflect the 3 percent increase the WPCA voted to advance in February.
What the Money Is Doing
The rate increase and the superintendent's report are technically separate agenda items. They are not unrelated.
The eight-minute operational report delivered at the same meeting covered, in order: a float failure at the Brockenberry pump station during the January cold snap that triggered a high wet-wall alarm; a power failure at Harland where the backup generator kicked on without incident; float-related alarms at Talbot and CLP, both addressed; a pump failure at West Farms Snowberry — a fifteen-year-old O-ring on a flange worn through, waiting for snowmelt to replace it; annual generator services at Patrick and Harland; and the arrival of a new automatic transfer switch at Patterson Park, installation pending.
At the plant: a flushing water motor failed and was replaced. A pH spike to 9.0 — described as "just slightly over" the facility's permit — appeared briefly and resolved. The DOT garage in Farmington recorded a chemical oxygen demand exceedance, and sampling is ongoing. A new Borger pump arrived to replace the existing suabi units. UV system parts were upgraded to stainless 316. Nitrogen levels finished 33 pounds under permit.
The centerpiece is the Yukon pump station replacement — a double-vault job the superintendent described as "in pretty bad shape," with photos available for the board at the close of the meeting. The project is two to three weeks from getting equipment on site.
Three percent.
The Approval
The budget motion carried unanimously. There was no discussion. No one had questions.
The record is clear: Farmington's residential sewer rate is $377 per year beginning in the 2026-27 budget cycle. The public was invited to weigh in. The public did not.
That is, by most measures, how this works. 🏛️
This coverage is brought to you by Farmington Storage at 155 Scott Swamp Road — the only storage facility in Connecticut with Museum air. The WPCA manages what leaves your home. Farmington Storage manages what you choose to keep. Both services operate so you don't have to think about them. Only one of them is $377 a year. farmingtonstorage.com | 860.777.4001 📦
— Jack Beckett read the full superintendent's report, including the part about the fifteen-year-old O-ring. He is on his second cup of coffee and would like to formally acknowledge that someone in Farmington has been monitoring your nitrogen levels all winter. You're welcome. ☕
The Farmington Mercury covers the town nobody else is covering — the Water Pollution Control Authority meeting that ran thirteen minutes and formally closed a budget process the public declined to engage with. We publish slowly and thoroughly. The facts are checked, the rates are confirmed, and by the time you read this, Jack Beckett has already attended the next one. Find us at farmingtonmercury.com and tell your neighbors. #WeAreFarmington 📰