Aquarion Water Proposal For Greenridge Under State Review

By Andrew Gorosko

NEW BRITAIN — Aquarion Water Company representatives on July 14 told state regulators why that firm’s proposal to provide safe drinking water to the residents of the 230-home Greenridge residential subdivision in Brookfield from a water source within Brookfield is better than a proposal by United Water to extend United’s  Newtown-based public water supply to Greenridge.

The hearing, which was conducted by the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), continued on July 15.

Under a government reorganization, the state agency formerly known as the Department of Public Utility  Control (DPUC) is now known as PURA. The hearing, which PURA is jointly conducting with the state Department of Public Health (DPH), is  scheduled to resume on July 28.

In a June submission to PURA, Aquarion explained that its recent pending agreements to acquire Rural Water Company, Brookfield Water Company, and Olmstead Water Company put it in a unique and previously unavailable position to offer a comprehensive solution to water supply issues in Brookfield, including providing water on a wholesale basis to the residents of Greenridge.

Greenridge’s water supply is tainted with naturally occurring harmful radioactive minerals. About 600 people live in Greenridge, a small part of which lies in Newtown.

In the past, PURA and DPH ordered United to provide safe drinking water to Greenridge to resolve longstanding problems with tainted water there.

In January 2008, United received state approval to take over Greenridge’s community water supply system. In March 2009, the state regulators approved United’s proposal to extend its Newtown-based water system to Greenridge.

The Aquarion proposal would be an alternative to United’s controversial proposal to extend its Newtown-based public water supply system northward on Hawleyville Road to Greenridge, which lies off Whisconier Road in Brookfield.

Newtown officials have raised environmental concerns that sending water from United’s system, which is fed by the Pootatuck Aquifer, would be environmentally unwise because it would amount to transferring water from one watershed into another watershed, potentially depleting the Pootatuck Aquifer and the adjacent Pootatuck River.

In April, Town of Newtown and Borough of Newtown officials endorsed a stipulated agreement with Brookfield and United concerning certain protective conditions that would apply if state regulators decide to have United extend its Newtown-based public water supply system to Greenridge.

Mapping Conflict

Attorney James Rice, representing the Town of Newtown at the July 14 hearing, said that Newtown officials learned at a July 13 session of the regional water utility coordinating committee about conflicting maps that exist which describe United’s designated “exclusive service area” (ESA) in Brookfield, casting into doubt the validity of the recent stipulated agreement.

Also, a narrative that describes United’s ESA does not match either map, Mr Rice added.

Under questioning by attorney Frederic Klein, representing Aquarion, First Selectman Pat Llodra said that Newtown officials’ concerns about the finite amount of water which is available from the Pootatuck Aquifer, which supplies United’s water system, led to the creation of the stipulated agreement.

Newtown’s position from the onset was that Greenridge’s water supply situation was a problem that should be solved within Brookfield, she said.

Had the Aquarion water supply proposal been available sooner, it would have been welcomed by Newtown officials, she said.

“If we were starting over, I would have chosen the Aquarion option,” she added.

Under Aquarion’s proposal, Aquarion would sell water to United, which would then distribute that water in its Greenridge water supply system.

Under questioning by attorney Janet Brooks, who represents The Potatuck Club, club member Richard Bell said the organization has had extensive stream flow studies done on the Pootatuck River. The club is a hunting/fishing group that owns property along the Pootatuck River and seeks to preserve the river as a  suitable habitat for trout.

The Pootatuck River flows atop the Pootatuck Aquifer. The club has water supply wells in the aquifer on its property off Wasserman Way.   

In response to a question from Mr Klein, Mr Bell said the club is concerned about any diversion of drinking water from the Pootatuck Aquifer.

Mr Bell said the club would prefer a water supply design for the Greenridge subdivision in Brookfield that does not require that water be diverted from the Pootatuck Aquifer in Newtown.

United’s wells into the Pootatuck Aquifer are located off South Main Street.

Mrs Llodra said July 18 she has reviewed all the pertinent information on providing Greenridge with a new water supply in seeking to determine what is the best option.

“The Aquarion plan makes better sense, better sense for Brookfield,” she said. Besides providing safe water to Greenridge, the Aquarion plan would help others in Brookfield with water contamination problems, she said.

The Aquarion plan is less expensive than the United plan, she said, adding that the Aquarion project could be accomplished in a timely manner.

“We would prefer the Aquarion proposal,” she said, adding, however, that if PURA opts to have the United water extension project constructed, the town would still be protected under the terms of the stipulated agreement.

In its review of the Aquarion water supply proposal, state analysts found that having Aquarion supply water to Greenridge would not affect water flow in the Pootatuck Aquifer and the Pootatuck River. Under the Aquarion proposal, water would be supplied to Greenridge from a different source in Brookfield.

Also, the state review found that employing Aquarion’s so-called “Brookfield Option” would involve less construction work and less disruption to the community than extending United’s Newtown-based water supply to Brookfield. The Brookfield Option is estimated to cost about $3.3 million, reportedly the most economical solution for Greenridge residents.

“Unlike the proposed Newtown interconnection alternative, the Brookfield Option avoids the easement encroachment problems and potential legal disputes discussed in the June 10, 2011, intervention petition of Potatuck Land Company and The Potatuck Club, which could very well make the Brookfield Option the more expeditious, less contentious, solution,” according to the state review.

In May 2010, United began a $4 million project to extend an underground water pipeline northward along Hawleyville Road from the intersection of Mt Pleasant Road and Hawleyville Road to Greenridge off Whisconier Road in Brookfield.

Town of Newtown and Borough of Newtown officials, however, objected to that water extension project, resulting in state regulators halting the pipeline work until points of conflict could be resolved. Town and borough officials charged that extending the Newtown-based water supply into Brookfield could potentially compromise Newtown’s water supply needs.

The PURA-DPH regulators then held a series of public hearings at which Newtown officials raised their objections to the project, and later, Brookfield officials provided various alternate proposals to provide water to Greenridge from sources lying within Brookfield.

United representatives have maintained that the Newtown-based water supply holds adequate water for a water system extension to Greenridge, and have urged PURA and DPH to give the water extension project a final approval.

Greenridge Residents

Two Greenridge residents spoke at the July 14 PURA/DPH hearing.

Suzanne Holko of Drover Road said she represents 85 percent of the Greenridge residents. Ms Holko said the tainted water of the Greenridge water supply system poses health risks to the residents.

The solution to Greenridge’s water problems appears to be wrapped up in the pursuit of profit rather than residents’ well-being, she said.

The United proposal is a solid plan to provide water to Greenridge, she said, asking why Aquarion has become involved in the matter.

Had it been implemented, United’s plan would have provided safe water to Greenridge last year, she said. The situation has caused much stress and much concern, she said. “We need clean water now,” Ms Holko said.

Martin Foncello, a former Brookfield first selectman who lives on Drover Road, said the Aquarion water supply proposal was submitted very late during the state review process.

Mr Foncello said the United project could be constructed during a four-month period, faster than Aquarion’s project could be completed. Aquarion does not yet have state approval to buy the three water companies in Brookfield which would be needed to accomplish its project, Mr Foncello said.

Also, the Aquarion project would ultimately cost more than the United project, he said.

Mr Foncello asked Aquarion to withdraw its water supply proposal and also urged the state regulators to approve United’s plan to extend its water system to Greenridge.