Fairfielders Speak Out Against Mill River Diversion Proposal

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield residents and representatives voiced environmental concerns Tuesday about a proposal to double the amount of water diverted from the local system, including Cricker Brook and the Mill River watershed, to towns such as Greenwich and Stamford.

Aquarion Water Co. has filed an application with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to increase its diversion permit from 7.3 million gallons per day to 14.2 million gallons per day from the Bridgeport water system to the county’s southwest region. The permit would require an annual diversion average of 12.6 million gallons per day, would last 25 years and would see a pipeline added in Fairfield in 2029.

The state has made a tentative decision to approve the plan, but held Tuesday’s Zoom hearing as part of its adjudicatory process. Fairfield’s Conservation Commission and several local environmental groups have filed petitions to intervene in the matter. The commission claims the increased diversion will impact the drainage basin of Cricker Brook and the Mill River in Fairfield.

“The water belongs to all of us,” said Geoffrey Steadman, a consultant for the Fairfield Harbor Management Commission.

Patrick Comins, executive director of the Connecticut Audubon Society, worried the endangered toothcup plant could be affected, along with the bald eagle, eastern box turtle, wood turtle and wild trout.

Others noted the Housatonic well field, which would need to be reactivated to maintain the water supply in the Bridgeport area under the diversion plan, had a history of concerning manganese levels.

Myke Hartigan, president of Fairfield’s Lake Hills Association, worried the increased diversion could reduce water flow to Samp Mortar Lake.

Speakers also questioned the Department of Transportation population projections used in Aquarion’s proposal, citing a Water Utility Coordinating Committee report that showed populations decreasing in southwest Fairfield County communities.

Peter Galant, a consultant for Aquarion, made the case for the diversion.

“There’s not enough supply in the local sources to meet the demands,” he said, adding the company intends to promote conservation, and noting that irrigation restrictions have been implemented in recent years in southwest Fairfield County towns.

Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson spoke in favor of the permit, citing 2016 drought conditions and the conservation campaigns her town has undertaken.

“Approval of this permit is critical to ensuring that southwestern Connecticut has a reliable water supply,” she said.

Ted Jankowski, Stamford’s director of public safety, health and welfare, echoed Stevenson’s sentiments, noting the threat of global warming.

Those in opposition to the permit offered alternatives and compromises. State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-28, suggested increasing the diversion to 10 million gallons per day, rather than the 14.2 million gallons per day being requested, and revisiting the plan in five years.

“We have to take these kind of actions with great caution and great deliberation,” he said.

In its petition to intervene, the conservation commission argued the upper Byram River aquifer could be a viable option for additional water. Alicea Charamut, executive director of Rivers Alliance of Connecticut, made the case for water reuse and recapture, particularly for outdoor watering.

The hearing will continue 9 a.m. Thursday on Zoom, when the involved parties will give testimony. It will not be open to public comment. To attend, visit https://bit.ly/3b2AfKD.