Engineer Updates Litchfield Council on Water Plant Issues, Maintenance Needs

Litchfield City Council Meeting | December 18, 2025

Article Summary: An engineer from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly addressed the Litchfield City Council regarding recent water turbidity violations and taste issues, confirming the water is safe while outlining necessary maintenance updates.

Water Plant Key Points:

• Safety Confirmed: Despite a turbidity violation in October, final water output remained well within safety limits (0.02 turbidity versus the 0.3 limit) due to membrane filtration.

• Cause of Taste/Smell: A broken ammonia feed system forced a switch to a “free chlorine burn,” resulting in a chlorine or “earthy” smell and taste, particularly in dead-end lines.

• Repair Timeline: Repairs to the ammonia system are underway, with a return to chloramines expected in early January 2025.

• Maintenance Funding: The engineer highlighted that the previous $50,000 maintenance budget is insufficient for an aging plant (built in 2009) and recommended a more robust Capital Improvement Plan.

The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, December 18, 2025, received a detailed presentation regarding the status of the city’s water treatment plant, addressing recent public concerns over water quality, taste, and smell.

Christie Crates, an engineer with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT) who was involved in the original design of the plant, told the Council that the water remains safe to drink despite recent operational challenges.

Crates addressed a turbidity violation that occurred in October. She explained that while the water exceeded the 0.3 turbidity limit after the sand filtration stage, the plant has a secondary membrane filtration process.

“When it left the plant in October, it was actually at 0.02 parts turbidity,” Crates said. “So, there are really no public health issues whatsoever… The City of Litchfield’s water post-membrane filtration was still like 15 times below that 0.3 limit.”

She noted that the subsequent boil order was likely issued out of an “abundance of caution.”

Addressing the current complaints regarding water taste and smell, Crates explained that the city is currently operating on a “free chlorine burn.” This step became necessary after the plant’s ammonia system failed. Litchfield typically uses chloramines (a mix of chlorine and ammonia) which have no smell and last longer in the pipes. Without the ammonia, the free chlorine can cause a distinct chemical smell, or strip biofilm from pipes, leading to a “musty” or “earthy” odor in areas with low water turnover.

“We found out after the fact was the ammonia system had not been working,” Crates said. “We have been working to get the pieces and parts ordered and actually those are being replaced as we speak.”

Crates estimates the city can switch back to chloramines in early January 2025, which should resolve the taste and odor issues once the system flushes out.

Looking to the future, Crates emphasized the need for increased investment in the facility, which went online in 2009. She noted that the previous annual maintenance budget of $50,000 is insufficient for a plant of its age and complexity.

“You can’t replace a pump for $50,000 on an almost 20-year-old plant,” Crates advised. She is working with the city on a Capital Improvement Plan to prioritize repairs, including work on the carbon silo and membrane system, potentially utilizing low-interest loans to mitigate rate impacts.