WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE ... BUT ...

WHY IS THE FIRST SELECTMAN DRAGGING HIS FEET ON THE WATER IN THE CENTER OF OUR TOWN?  THE DEP HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET THE CONSENT ORDER IN PLACE SO THAT THE WATER ISSUE CAN BE SOLVED.  KEEP VISITING THIS BLOG FOR UPDATES AS INFORMATION COMES AVAILABLE.

NEW FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT WATER SUPPLY RESOURCES 

NEW FAIRFIELD, CT

WATER SUPPLY RESOURCE INVENTORY

PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT

The 2003 New Fairfield Plan of Conservation and Development states that “during the planning period, New Fairfield should consider alternative ways to provide for a public water supply to the Town Center area to address water quality concerns in this area. A detailed study of the potential for a water supply should be conducted.”

NEW FAIRFIELD, CT 
WATER SUPPLY AQUIFERS

Each of the ten municipal plans of conservation and development has policies towards aquifers and water supply watersheds. New Fairfield's and the other nine have been copied and placed into one regional file to facilitate comparisons.

1) Short Woods Brook Aquifer: The only major aquifer in New Fairfield is the Short Woods Brook Aquifer north of the Town Center. Following Short Woods Brook it begins near Beaver Bog Road and follows that watercourse south to the Town Center. This resource includes an area of 110 acres of saturated thickness of ten feet or greater.

View of New Fairfield's Short Woods Brook Aquifer 
near Shaws. Photo courtesy of Rick Gottschalk 

NEW FAIRFIELD, CT EXISTING AND
POTENTIAL WATER SUPPLY WATERSHEDS
Almost 30% of New Fairfield’s total land area is already in use as water supply watershed serving other communities. This is the fourth highest percentage of the ten communities in the region. None of the water drained from these lands is used as water supply within New Fairfield.

These watersheds are existing resource designations that will not change. What is of interest is that the entire remaining land area of New Fairfield is designated by either HVCEO or state agencies as potential water supply watershed.

According to the 2003 New Fairfield Plan of Conservation and Development "New Fairfield is unique since all of its land area is either watershed of an active public water supply (such as New York City and Danbury) or is in a watershed that has been designated as a potential future public water supply. For this reason, protecting water quality is an important issue in the Plan."

1) East Branch Croton River Watershed: All of western New Fairfield adjacent to New York State, approximately 3,750 acres of the community, drains westerly toward the East Branch of the Croton River in Town of Southeast, N.Y.

The East Branch Reservoir in New York State is

recharged in part by waters from western New Fairfield, CT

This area is part of the East Branch Croton River Watershed. The East Branch then drains into the East Branch Reservoir in Southeast, NY, and from there to the Croton Reservoir for consumption in New York City and environs. This use of New Fairfield’s water by New York City for water supply began long ago, in 1842

2) Ball Pond Brook Watershed: The CT OPM Conservation and Development Policies Plan has designated the Ball Pond Brook Watershed as a potential future water supply resource. In contrast HVCEO has so designated the entire Candlewood Lake Watershed, which includes the entire Ball Pond Brook watershed as a subarea.

3) Candlewood Lake Watershed: If Danbury ever taps Candlewood Lake as a water supply source then that part of the Candlewood Lake Watershed that lies within Danbury, primarily the vicinity of Danbury Bay, would also become existing, rather than potential, water supply watershed.

4) Padanaram Brook Watershed: About 980 acres along New Fairfield's border with Danbury is part of the Padanaram Brook Watershed. The drainage is southerly into Margerie Reservoir and East Lake Reservoir, both important parts of Danbury's water supply system. 

Landmarks denoting this section of New Fairfield include Williams Road, Old Farm Road, Barnum Road and most associated side streets.

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NEW FAIRFIELD, CT 
POTENTIAL WATER MAIN 
CONNECTIONS TO DANBURY
Water Main Connections to New Fairfield: As shown in this 2006 study, there is a potential interconnection for the New Fairfield Town Center area.

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CT DEP CLASSIFICATION
OF STREAMS IN NEW FAIRFIELD
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) has developed water quality standards in conjunction with the principles of the federal Clean Water Act. 

As a result each stream or water body in the Region has two classifications, one for existing use, and one for ultimate future use, written in a existing/future format such as "B/A" or "A/AA". The highest standards are reserved of existing and potential water supply areas, which are AA.

The DEP seeks to bring every water body in the State to a minimum classification of "B" or better, which would not be suitable for human consumption without treatment, but could be suitable for recreational use, fish and wildlife habitat, agricultural and industrial supply, and other legitimate uses.

There is a non degradation policy such that stream now AA or A cannot be reduced to B to allow discharges from industries or treatment plants. The classification system and application to New Fairfield is summarized below:

Class AA: Designated uses are existing or proposed drinking water supply, fish and wildlife habitat, some recreational use, agricultural and industrial supply. Discharges severely restricted.

Class A: Designated uses is potential drinking water supply; fish and wildlife habitat; recreational use; agricultural and industrial supply and other legitimate uses including navigation. Discharges severely restricted. No reclassification of A or AA allowed down to B.

Class B: Designated uses are varied and include discharges from industrial and municipal wastewater treatment facilities providing Best Available Treatment and Best Management Practices are applied. All water bodies must eventually reach the minimum standards of the B classification.

Classes C and D: Indicates unacceptable quality, the goal is Class B or Class A and DEP will issue orders to require improvement. 

1. Ball Pond Brook flowing from Ball Pond easterly to just past New Fairfield Center: B/AA. Ball Pond Brook continuing from just past New Fairfield Center easterly to Candlewood Lake: B/A.

2. Candlewood Lake due to wastewater pumped up from the Housatonic River: B/B.

3. East Lake Reservoir tributaries reaching north from Danbury into New Fairfield: AA/AA.

4. Hudson River tributaries reaching into New Fairfield from New York State, except Gerow Brook: AA/AA. Gerow Brook from its source at the old New Fairfield Landfill flowing northwesterly into New York State: B/AA.

5. Margerie Reservoir and tributaries: AA/AA.

6. All other streams in New Fairfield: A/A.

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