Free sewage pumpout services for recreational boaters on Candlewood Lake is being offered by the state.  Up until now, many pump out facilities had charged a $5 service fee.  Funding for the new Clean Vessel Act program comes from the Sport Fishing and Boating Trust Fund, which is supported by taxes on certain fishing and boating equipment, as well as boat fuel. It's part of an effort to keep coastal waters clean for recreation by safely disposing boaters' sewage. 

State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Analyst Gwendolyn Flynn says this past weekend there weren't as many people using the services as DEEP had hoped.  Flynn says that night have been because fewer people were on the lake due to the weather or the holiday weekend meant more people on dry land having picnics.

Flynn says the previous weekend there was a significantly larger amount of sewage off loaded from boats.  She hopes with the nice weather, people will enjoy the lake and take advantage of their services.

She notes that extra sewage in the water means there are more nutrients in the water and that can cause more algae blooms and help invasive plants thrive.  There is a concern each year with the amount of invasive species, particularly Eurasian Milfoil.

Candlewood Lake Pumpout Cell Phone at 860-985-9474 Saturdays and Sundays between 9am and 5pm.