First threshold, “Increased Awareness,” reached
People in the Pomperaug Basin reminded to use water wisely
River flows in the Pomperaug River recently dropped below the first threshold in the Heritage Village water system’s low-flow operations plan. As called for in the plan, Connecticut Water’s Heritage Village water system, the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition, and the Town of Southbury want to increase public awareness of the river flow.
This is the first of three possible action levels identified in the plan. While customers of the Heritage Village system and private well owners are always encouraged to use water wisely, now that the Increased Awareness action level has been reached, they are being asked to be even more cautious with how they use water because of the impact on the Pomperaug Aquifer that can affect river flows.
The typical low-flow period for the Pomperaug occurs between July 1 and October 31, and this is the kind of scenario that was envisioned when the low-flow operations plan was developed. The current river flow is about 20 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is below the first trigger of 32.7 cfs. The next trigger, which would include a call for conservation, would be when the flows are less than 15 cfs.
“We’ve been keeping a close eye on flows since the beginning of July and they have been hovering around 30 to 35 cfs,” said Carol Haskins, Executive Director of the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition. “This week we saw the flows drop quickly from 35 cfs to 25 cfs to under 20 cfs with the lack of rain and warm temperatures. With little rain in the forecast and continued heat, we consulted with CT Water and the Town of Southbury and agreed it was time to issue a notice to raise awareness about the flows and remind people that it is always a good idea to conserve water.”
Heritage Village system customers and private well owners can visit ctwater.com for water conservation tips. The current Pomperaug River status and Action Levels can be viewed online at www.pomperaug.org/lowflowplan.
About Connecticut Water Company
Connecticut Water is a public water utility that is regulated by the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. The company provides water service to more than 107,000 customers in 60 Connecticut towns and wastewater services to 3,000 customers in the town of Southbury, Connecticut.
The towns served are Ashford, Avon, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Bolton, Brooklyn, Burlington, Canton, Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Deep River, Durham, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hampton, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Essex, Farmington, Griswold, Guilford, Haddam, Hebron, Killingly, Killingworth, Lebanon, Madison, Manchester, Mansfield, Marlborough, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Oxford, Plainfield, Plymouth, Portland, Prospect, Simsbury, Somers, Southbury, South Windsor, Stafford, Stonington, Suffield, Thomaston, Thompson, Tolland, Vernon, Voluntown, Waterbury, Westbrook, Willington, Windsor Locks and Woodstock.
About the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition
PRWC’s mission is to ensure plentiful, high-quality water in the Pomperaug Watershed communities through the use of science and education. We share our knowledge and expertise with others committed to the protection of the vital water resources upon which we all depend. PRWC accomplishes its mission by employing the latest science to advance best management of the watershed and by creating a partnership of local governments, businesses, private individuals, scientists and environmental groups who work collaboratively to protect the health and vibrancy of the Watershed.
PRWC’s programs and services include: development and acquisition of scientific watershed and river data; provision of technical assistance on environmental challenges; and facilitation of educational programs. All of PRWC’s programs and activities underscore our collective roles as stewards of our environment and promote good habits to keep our watershed and rivers healthy.