North-Central Connecticut Drought Conditions At 'Severe' Level

VERNON, CT — Though no formal water conservation orders have been given to residents of north-central Connecticut, the operator of the 5-billion-gallon Shenipsit Lake Reservoir is putting the area on notice about drought conditions.

"We have not issued any voluntary conservation requests for the our northern-western water system, which includes the Shenip," Connecticut Water Company spokesman Daniel Meaney said Wednesday. "That said, it has obviously been dry. The US Drought Monitor, as of last week, had the region at "Severe Drought."

The lake is the primary source of water for customers in Ellington, Vernon, Tolland, South Windsor and Mansfield.

It is the largest, but but not the sole source, for Connecticut Water’s northern-western water system that serves customers from Suffield to Mansfield and south to South Windsor, Windsor Locks and Vernon.

Connecticut Water Wednesday produced a drought chart showing the severity of conditions across the state: