CT Water Adds Land In Tolland, Prospect To 'Protect' Reservoirs

TOLLAND, CT — Connecticut Water Company has acquired more than 125 acres of land as open space in Tolland and Prospect as part of the utility's "continued commitment to protecting our customers' sources of drinking water."

The purchases include about 66 acres in Prospect near the Long Hill Reservoir and about 60 acres near the Shenipsit Lake Reservoir in Tolland.

"A healthy watershed provides numerous benefits for the company, our customers and our communities," Connecticut Water President Craig Patla said. "Water quality starts at the source. Preserving a natural buffer around water sources safeguards against increased treatment costs related to any environmental changes due to development and benefits the community by protecting green spaces."

A watershed channels water like rain or snowmelt into streams, rivers and reservoirs, which can be the source of drinking water, Connecticut Water officials said. Undeveloped landscapes provide natural filtration of water before it reaches the drinking water source, which helps keep water treatment costs down, they added.

Connecticut Water owns more than 6,600 acres of land throughout the state for "source protection."

Long Hill Reservoir, along with Moody, Mulberry and Straitsville reservoirs, supply water to the William Stewart Drinking Water Treatment Facility in Naugatuck. The facility serves about 10,000 customers in Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Middlebury, Prospect and Waterbury and can produce about 6 million gallons of drinking water each day. The recent purchase abuts hundreds of acres of open space around Long Hill Reservoir already owned by Connecticut Water.

The Shenipsit Lake Reservoir supplies water to the Rockville Drinking Water Treatment Facility, which is the largest single source of drinking water for Connecticut Water customers in north central Connecticut. The treatment facility has the capacity to produce up 9 million gallons of drinking water per day.

Connecticut Water owns hundreds of acres of land in the Shenipsit Lake Reservoir watershed. The company offers free recreational opportunities in the Shenipsit watershed, another benefit to the community. Activities permitted and approved by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health on the reservoir property include a year-round hiking trail, and an April to October fishing program, which is monitored daily to ensure activities can be enjoyed by the public while not negatively impacting water quality.