DPUC Hearing Slated On Water System Extension

By Andrew Gorosko

The state Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) has scheduled a public hearing for Thursday, July 29, on the United Water Company’s controversial proposal to extend its water supply system from Newtown to the homes in the Greenridge residential subdivision in Brookfield.

The public hearing will be held in two sessions at Newtown Municipal Center at 3 Primrose Street.

A session scheduled to run from 10 am to 4 pm will address technical issues about the water system extension, including engineering and financial topics. At a second session slated to start at 6 pm, the DPUC will field questions and comments from the general public, according DPUC spokesman Philip Dukes.

Local concerns over the planned water system extension focus on whether such a project would adversely affect the Pootatuck Aquifer, which would provide water for Greenridge.

At the urging of state officials, United Water in late May halted construction on the water line extension project until local officials’ concerns about the project are resolved. United Water had started construction on the $4 million project along the southern end of Hawleyville Road.

Town and borough officials had complained that United Water had not provided them with sufficient information to determine whether the project would have negative effects on Newtown.

A major concern involves whether the Pootatuck Aquifer holds a sufficient water reserve to extend the water system to Brookfield.

Also, local officials have questions about the cost implications of the water system extension to Brookfield and some planned water system improvements in Newtown, including changes to water system connections for customers along the southern end of Main Street. Those Main Street water system improvements would performed in conjunction with the water system extension to Brookfield.

Newtown, borough, state, Brookfield, and water company officials met in early June at the DPUC offices in New Britain for a technical review of the water system extension project.

In January 2008, the DPUC and the state Department of Public Health (DPH) ordered United Water to provide potable water to Greenridge, off Route 25 (Whisconier Road). Greenridge has a contaminated community water system. There are about 230 single-family houses in Greenridge, where the water supply system is fed by a series of wells tainted with naturally occurring uranium. Ingestion of uranium is considered harmful.

Newtown wants to be assured that the Pootatuck Aquifer holds sufficient water to be used as a water source for the Greenridge section of Brookfield, First Selectman Pat Llodra has said, noting that Newtown has not finished growing.

The Pootatuck Aquifer is the town’s sole source aquifer. United Water’s local water supply system uses a wellfield at the Pootatuck Aquifer along South Main Street, near Bryan Lane, as its water source.

In a past letter to Denise Ruzicka of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) inland water resources unit, George Benson, Newtown’s director of planning and land use, explained some of the town’s concerns about the water system extension project.

“The Town of Newtown’s only source of public water is currently the Pootatuck sole source aquifer and we depend on it for our current and future needs. The town requires assurances that this diversion of water will not impact the current safety of our water supply and future development potential,” Mr Benson wrote.

“The United States Geological Survey is currently conducting a detailed survey of our water supply entitled ‘Hydrogeology and Computer Modeling of the Pootatuck River Unconsolidated Glacial Aquifer, Newtown, Connecticut,’ and we would like to utilize this information in determining any potential impacts of water diversions on the aquifer,” he wrote.

“We would request any [water system] diversions wait until this report is completed,” he added.

Mr Benson also questioned why United Water was not required to obtain a water diversion permit from DEP in order to extend its water supply to Brookfield.

In a past statement, United Water spokesman Steven Goudsmith said that the water system project would provide Greenridge residents with a reliable water supply and also result in water service improvements for the company’s Newtown customers.