S&P Global Ratings lowered its rating on The Metropolitan District Hartford County, Conn.'s clean water project (CWP) revenue bonds to 'AA-' from 'AA'. The downgrade reflects the pressures that the capital-intense Clean Water Project (CWP) have placed on the district's finances, including an increase in leverage and lower all-in coverage for the bonds due to increasing debt service. The rating reflects our assessment of the district's very strong enterprise risk profile and strong financial risk profile. The outlook is stable. Our view of the enterprise risk profile as very strong reflects: The stable and affluent service area, consisting of eight member municipalities in the Hartford region; A sizable, regulatory driven capital improvement plan (CIP); Affordability pressures that may increase the
