Large Madison Property Purchased To Help Protect Environment: RWA

MADISON, CT — The Regional Water Authority recently purchased 24 acres of undeveloped land off Durham Road in Madison to expand its protected land holdings within the Lake Hammonasset watershed, officials announced.

The property was reportedly purchased for $235,000, and is located south of County Road and east of Durham Road (Route 79). It abuts existing regional authority land to the west and south, as well as property owned by the Hammonasset Fishing Association to the north and east.

Officials said the acquisition is part of the RWA’s broader initiative, known as "The Land We Need for the Water We Use," to purchase watershed parcels that protect the quality of the water supplied to customers.

The densely wooded parcel has no trails and will not be open to recreational activities.

"Protecting the watershed lands that surround our water sources and drain into them is crucial to our mission to supply high-quality water to our customers," said RWA Real Estate Manager John Triana in a statement. "By acquiring this parcel, we can ensure that it remains in its natural, pristine state."

From the Regional Water Authority annoucement:

Under RWA ownership, the parcel will be protected from development and will contribute to the protection of the Lake Hammonasset watershed from the impacts of human activities.

Lake Hammonasset, which straddles the Madison-Killingworth border to the southeast of the newly acquired land, is one of the 10 active reservoirs that supply water to the RWA’s system.

The RWA purchased the property from Robert Weber last month, after receiving a grant from the Yale Divinity School to help pay for the acquisition. The grant supports the school’s effort to receive a Living Building Certificate from the International Living Future Institute.

“We are honored to participate with the RWA in purchasing this property to protect our water,” said Yale Divinity School Dean Greg Sterling. “This is part of our larger effort to develop a sustainable future, an effort that we consider to be a sacred obligation.”

The RWA owns and protects nearly 28,000 acres of watershed land in the region, including 3,326 acres within the Hammonasset watershed.

More information about the RWA’s water sources and the high-quality water the company supplies is available in its 2024 Water Quality Report, available online at rwater.com/water-quality/water-quality-reports/.