Greenridge Subdivision—

Newtown Seeks Conditions On Water System Extension

By Andrew Gorosko

In a series of talks in recent weeks, the Town of Newtown has sought to reach an agreement with United Water and the Town of Brookfield concerning certain conditions that would apply if state regulators decide to have United Water extend its Newtown-based public water supply system to the Greenridge residential subdivision in Brookfield.

The state Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) and the state Department of Public Health (DPH) are considering what would be the best means to provide a safe drinking water supply to Greenridge: an extension of United Water’s Newtown-based water supply system or the provision of water to Greenridge from some source within Brookfield. Greenridge has a contaminated water supply.

First Selectman Pat Llodra said that Newtown officials have met with United Water and Brookfield officials several times since the DPUC-DPH’s December public hearing in Brookfield on the Greenridge water supply issue.

DPUC-DPH regulators are allowing the three parties to create a stipulated agreement which would become a part of a revised DPUC-DPH approval of extending United Water’s Newtown-based water supply to Greenridge, she said.

Mrs Llodra said Newtown is willing to aid Greenridge in obtaining a safe drinking water supply, but certain conditions must be placed on such a project.

Those conditions would include that the water service area in Brookfield be limited to the Greenridge subdivision and that the service area be formally depicted on a suitable map, she said.

Also, Newtown wants United Water to study the scientific interrelationship of the well water that it draws from the Pootatuck Aquifer and the water volume of the adjacent Pootatuck River, she said.

Also, Newtown wants United Water to perform long-range water supply planning, including the prospect of interconnecting its water supply systems in the region, with that planning covering the study of water service systems and water sources, she said.

The first selectman said Newtown wants United Water to provide some alternate water source for its Newtown customers besides its wellhead along South Main Street, near that road’s intersection with Bryan Lane.

A long-range water supply planning study would be a first step toward identifying an additional water supply source within Newtown, she said.

Mrs Llodra said that Newtown, United Water, and Brookfield plan to meet again in early March to continue their talks. “We expect an amicable agreement,” she said.

DPUC spokesman Phil Dukes said it is unclear when DPUC-DPH officials will again meet to consider the Greenridge water supply issue.

Last May, United Water began a $4 million project to extend a buried water pipeline along Hawleyville Road northward from the intersection of Mt Pleasant Road and Hawleyville Road to Greenridge off Whisconier Road in Brookfield. In January 2008, DPUC and DPH had ordered United Water to provide safe drinking water to Greenridge to resolve longstanding problems with tainted water there.

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

The existing Greenridge community water supply is contaminated with naturally occurring radioactive minerals. Drinking such tainted water is considered harmful. About 700 people live in Greenridge, a small part of which lies in Newtown.

United Water’s public water supply system serves central Newtown, as well as South Main Street, Mt Pleasant Road, and Sandy Hook Center.