Timothy Woodward, left, points out several areas where his employees will be installing flow dishes to prevent excess flow from entering pipes. Pictured seated at the table, from left, are board members Keith Ort, Robert Dumford, Jim Boone and Dan Mikolajczak. (Photo by Chelsea Los)

CROMWELL — After a year of growth and changes, the board at Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District is starting 2020 with the goal to continue improving. Whether it be eliminating unnecessary expenses or adding modern technologies, TCRSD is starting January with Jim Boone at the helm and a full group of employees to see those goals to fruition.

The board met Monday evening, Jan. 20, to share these goals and updates with the public.

First on the chopping block for 2020 was reviewing and/or updating outdated ordinances for water, usage and rates. Updating ordinances will ensure consistent decision-making for the board, and a way to hold the district users accountable. Public members may recall the long-standing battles of 2019 and prior that included floating toilets and refusals to connect. Ensuring rules for use are clear and legally binding can help the district avoid costly litigation.

Jeff Hersha of Jones and Henry said (again) the final two contracted improvements are nearly finished. Loose ends abound. However, contractors and sub-contractors have added to the progress by signing off on final payments, a requirement that allows the district to release payment funds. Hersha is also continuing to collect data with the help of senior engineer Brian Houghton in preparation for March’s meeting. Hersha and Houghton, with the help of district superintendent Timothy Woodward, will be presenting a variety of options for maintaining clean water around Northshore and Eastshore. The engineers are looking into sewers, hybrid options, or the possibility of remaining on septic. It’s no secret the TCRSD board is a big fan of sewers, but has made some progress on favor of the public by pricing and understanding feasibility of other options.

Woodward provided a month’s worth of updates on plant functions around the district, including some costly downtime that brought the group to a discussion several megahertz above the common man’s understanding. Michael Williams, MicroByte Enterprises, gave specifications of radios of varying frequencies with the district to determine what would be the best fit. Williams noted common applications such as wireless routers, video doorbell systems, and other devices can frequently interrupt the transmission of equipment the district is already using with a system called SCADATA.

Last month, the board asked Williams to prepare an estimate to switch all current systems to a more user-friendly one called Win-911. The district has already been using this technology on a small scale, and is pleased with the results. Williams estimated in total, the switch will cost $54,000. The board authorized Woodward and Williams to purchase one or two of the new Win-911 radios to have on-hand and begin replacing SCADATA as equipment failures occur.

The board will meet again the third Monday of each month, the next one being held at 7 p.m. Feb. 17.