A public hearing has been held in New Milford about using some federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to repair the Reservoir Dam #4.  The New Milford Town Council voted unanimously in favor of the idea. 

About 50 people attended the hearing and spoke in favor of the repairs, rather than removal. 

The 17-foot dam dates back to around 1900, when Town Farm Brook was stopped to create a recreational area.  A valve, installed around 1918, won’t shut.  There are disjointed overflow pipes, water seeps through parts of the wall and there are mortar issues on the spillway.  Repairs are estimated to cost around $1.2 million.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has classified the dam as a significant hazard, the second highest hazard classification.