Protecting The Water Supply—

Planning Town’s Growth Around Water Resources

By Kendra Bobowick

Cool water spills over smoothed stones and across fields spotted with crumbling boulders. Jutting out periodically across New England’s hilly landscape are other bits of evidence that glaciers scoured the terrain thousands of years ago. The aboveground clues go deeper, and below the surface are deposits left behind by the massive passages of ice, including a cradle for clean drinking water.

Locally, the water supply has drawn attention not only for its aesthetic touch to the landscape, but for its vulnerability.

“The chief point to be made is that the aquifer is a vital part of Newtown, literally it is life-giving — that’s our water supply, whether city or well-water,” said Town Historian Dan Cruson. Locally, environmentally conscious residents are trying to protect it.

This Saturday, March 31, a symposium, “Our Water Is Our Future, Come Find Out Why” will provide some answers. Headed by resident James Belden, the Pootatuck Watershed Association (PWA) is hosting the series of discussions presented by speakers including Heidi Green, president of 1,000 Friends CT, Dr Marc Taylor with the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition, and Newtown Conservation Official Rob Sibley, who will detail Aquifer Protection Regulations, what they are and how they may change. United States Geological Survey Representatives will participate in a panel discussion. Mr Cruson will begin the day’s 10 am to 2 pm agenda.

Past & Present

Mr Cruson connects long-ago glacial activity with residents’ drinking water.

The town historian’s expertise has broadened into the region’s geological history scrolling as far back as the ice age, where he notes how the movements of ice molded the land and its features, including the water supply. Generally describing what shaped the local landscape, he said, “When glacial ice melts, the water goes in a rush and left land forms we see now.” Moving from the land to the water, he detailed the physical features forming the Pootatuck Aquifer.

Primarily the glacier is responsible for forming the aquifer, he said. Focusing deep below ground, he explained, “The glacial gravel is what’s holding the water.” Geological history reveals that glaciers dragged and crushed ground formations and plowed paths across this portion of the continent, and at times became stagnant. The glacier smothering Newtown formed lakes and deposited sediment, Mr Cruson said. Pointing out geographic evidence, he mentioned Sand Hill Plaza saying, “Gravel and sand was left from sediment falling in a lake.”

Straining The Water Supply?

Mr Belden believes some of the glacier’s legacy faces problems, however.

Pulling attention back to the present, he said, “On state and local levels we are starting to understand how important aquifers are as primary drinking sources.”

Stating his main concern, Mr Belden said, “Aquifers are sensitive to land use changes and that’s what it comes down to.” Along with the problem he sees a resolution. “We need intelligent growth; we need to be more careful,” he said.

Mr Belden looks for answers. “If we want to continue to have a vital community with growth and still have cold, clear water, we need science to guide us about how and what to do.” Also speaking at the symposium will be United States Geological Survey (USGS) Representatives. According to Mr Belden, the USGS is conducting an aquifer study that will help quantify the town’s water sources.

“That’s critical to understanding how much the community can grow within the water resources,” he said. Newtown’s growth is not only residential, but commercial as well, and an anticipated tech park along the banks of Deep Brook adjacent to Fairfield Hills is an area that also poses potential business and retail growth.

Mr Belden explained why the USGS study is important. “Without doing the science first we don’t know what’s possible,” he said. He hopes the USGS study can answer several questions including, “Is there enough water there?” He also believes in the study as a tool, “to be sure we continue to have enough.”

His thoughts led ultimately to the topic of intelligent growth. “We need to be more careful,” he said. The community needs the science to help determine how and where best to locate growth, he said. “Lessons from the aquifer study and continued improvements from land use regulations — utilizing that can take some guess work out of what is right to develop.”

Posing the largest hurdle is educating people, Mr Belden said, stressing that the community needs to understand the natural systems creating the water supply.

“When you get more people to understand the message it’s a lot easier to implement what needs to be implemented,” he said. He hopes that a continued effort will lead to smarter future plans. “I want to grow our community in a healthy manner,” he said.

Mr Belden issued a warning. “Every society is built upon having clean and abundant water. Our system is perfect for delivering clean water to us and without it we don’t have much future.”

Smart Growth

Heidi Green with the 1,000 Friends CT, a statewide smart growth group, described smart growth’s ideal outcome as “a vibrant place with a healthy economy, healthy air, and healthy water.”

Adding more to the image, she said, “People can walk to work and shops from their homes.”

She sees several elements contradicting the smart approach, however.

Ms Green said, “We have 169 towns competing against each other for development to support the tax-base.” The situation spawns growth. “Overall we have these towns competing for sprawl.” Ms Green suggested that a shift in the tax structure would reduce reliance on property tax.

Several things need to happen, she said. “Smart growth has to start in a couple of places — policy, structure at the state and regional levels, and also has to start with vision on the community level about how we want to grow,” she said. She also believes in planning.

“We need to be proactive about how and where we want to grow, not just in town, but regionally,” she said.

How far away is smart growth? Ms Green answered, “We’re quite a ways but making steps. There is a lot of work to do.” Looking at the state overall, she said, “Connecticut is probably about 20 years behind in laws and development patterns.” Finding the bright side of the problem, she said, “It means we have a lot of catching up, but we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”

Talk to local legislators, become involved in local land use boards, and pay attention to Hartford are among Ms Green’s suggestions for leading to smarter growth.

How and where we live also weigh in. “We all can make choices about how we live; do we really need great big houses in the suburbs? Though we have the choice to live in a rural area, there isn’t a choice in Connecticut.”

Explaining, she said, “It’s important to have choices, but if development is happening on two-acre lots it’s a disruption of green space, habitat is disrupted, every two acres is another septic and you have to drive everywhere. This is a pattern of development that’s bad for the environment.”

This current trend is “a great, big, huge problem, but we can turn it around, but people have to understand what is not working for town.” Smart growth’s main point is creating a community with potential to protect the economy and the environment.

Ms Green said, “To do that we have to be engaged in the political process on all levels. It’s an idea whose time has come and everyone can participate in making Connecticut a better place.”

The Pootatuck Watershed Association (PWA) is hosting the, “Our Water Is Our Future, Come Find Out Why,” on Saturday, March 31 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Newtown Congregational Church. The public is welcome to attend.

The series of guest speakers will address related topics. Contact James Belden, PWA president at 426-6538.