The Watertown Fire District wishes to address its arrangement with the Town of
Watertown for sewage collection and treatment and its position on the Town’s payment of the
judgment obtained by the City of Waterbury.
The Watertown Fire District is a separate entity from the Town and the Town’s Water &
Sewer Authority. The Fire District has a contract with the Town pursuant to which the Town
handles, accepts, and conveys the Fire District’s sewage to the City of Waterbury for treatment.
The Fire District pays the Town for sewage it discharges into the Town’s sewerage collection
system. Specifically, the Fire District pays the Town a cost per million gallons charged to the
Town by the City of Waterbury for sewage treatment plus a reasonable amount for operation and
maintenance of a portion of the interceptor used to convey the Fire District’s sewage. The Fire
District does not have a contract with the City of Waterbury and is not a party to the litigation
between the Town and the City concerning their billing dispute.
The Fire District has always paid the rates charged to it by the Town. The Fire District
sets its rates based on the rates billed by the Town. The Town did not increase its rates to the Fire
District based on the increased rates that the City charged the Town until very recently. The Fire
District is being billed at the higher rate as of August 2025 (service period 6/30/2025 to
7/31/2025).
The Watertown Fire District has not agreed to pay any portion of the judgment that the
City of Waterbury obtained against the Town of Watertown and has no obligation to do so