Waterlines: Winter-Spring 2007

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Protecting the Sources of Your Drinking Water

Ensuring drinking water quality for our customers over the long term depends on the preservation of watershed and aquifer lands in our region. For over two decades, the Regional Water Authority has spent a great deal of time working to see that drinking water remains clean and safe for everyone.

Over 80 percent of the region’s tap water comes from the 10 lakes located in Bethany, Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Killingworth, North Branford, and Woodbridge. The balance of the water comes from the Quinnipiac and Mill River aquifers in Cheshire and Hamden. The watersheds that replenish the RWA lakes and aquifers cover 118 square miles—almost six times larger than the city of New Haven.

To make sure that your tap water is consistently of high quality, we follow a multi-barrier approach that encompasses treatment, distribution, source water protection and extensive water quality monitoring. It takes a network of over 1,550 miles of pipes, pumping stations and storage tanks to deliver water in the region. We carefully maintain this extensive distribution system to guarantee that water is available when you turn on your faucet. Our source water protection efforts include security patrols, review of development plans that may threaten the watershed areas, and limited public access to the open protected space, as well as the mapping of resources and inspection of activities within the watersheds.

Another important part of our source water protection activity is watershed land acquisition. Since the 1980s, the RWA has invested $17 million to purchase and protect nearly 5,000 acres of watershed land in the region in order to maintain the high level of water quality for our customers. Buying and protecting watershed land is effective in preventing the degradation of water quality and helps to minimize treatment expenses.

A Word About Water Main Breaks

Extreme cold weather can force frost deeper into the soil causing the ground to shift and triggering a water main break. Sometimes it’s the combination of the extreme cold along with the age of the water pipe that causes the fracture. Either way, a break in the street disrupts customers.

Water main breaks are serious and receive our immediate attention. When they occur, crews respond quickly to make the repair and restore water service. Depending on the type of break, the water may be turned off. The Authority makes every effort to notify residents before this happens. A water main break usually takes four to six hours to repair.

When the naturally formed scale on the interior of the piping system is disturbed, some water discoloration may occur immediately after the water is turned back on. Our crews work to clear this condition quickly. After a severe water main break, this discoloration may last for several hours. During this time, reduce your water usage, especially hot water. This will limit the storage of discolored water in your water heater and help prevent staining of fixtures or any clothing in your washer.

If you notice water bubbling up through the ground, a wet area appearing during dry weather, or a sudden loss of water pressure within a service area, please call 562-4020.

Water on Demand

Much like water, a fire department is vital to citizens. The department is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Flexibility is an essential part of the job. No day is predictable.

Each fire, each emergency call, is different. When the alarm goes off, a fire crew responds. Simultaneously, there must be water on demand and proper pressure in hydrants so firefighters can extinguish the flames. The RWA creed on fire protection is clear: “Take firefighting seriously. A hydrant should never be out of service.”

Milford Assistant Fire Chief James Wilkinson, a 32-year veteran of the department, noted that most parts of the country don’t have a municipal water system as good as the one in our region. “We don’t rely upon dozens of big water tankers to pump water from a pond and truck it to a fire. For us, the infrastructure is in place waiting for us to tap. We know hydrants work. Water supply is not an issue; for us it’s a given,” said Wilkinson.

A few years ago, the city of Milford and the Authority improved water pressure and firefighting capabilities for the shoreline community of nearly 53,000 people. “Those benefits are far-reaching and enhance service throughout the city,” said Wilkinson. Milford has over 235 miles of water main and more than 1,370 fire hydrants. Last year, the city handled 7,000 calls for service.

In contrast, the 400 women and men of the New Haven Fire Department handled more than 35,000 cases last year in the city of New Haven, which is 21.1 square miles and home to over 125,000 residents.

“We couldn’t fight fires in our urban environment without water. It is definitely essential,” said New Haven Fire Chief Michael Grant, who for nearly 20 years has enjoyed a close working relationship with the Authority, especially with people in its operations division. Authority crews also aid his department by responding to fire calls that are two-alarm or greater. The crews help ensure that the 2,030-plus hydrants have adequate pressure and supply to extinguish blazes in the city.

With many high-rise buildings, bustling retail shops, restaurants and theaters, several blocks in downtown New Haven comprise a “high-value district.” Here, the sidewalks show the strength of the city’s fire protection system. Hydrants are just 300 feet apart on both sides of the street, ensuring that, in emergencies, firefighters could pump between 8,000 and 10,000 gallons of water per minute.

Chief Grant cited the improvements the Authority made by installing larger mains that upgraded “weak areas” in the system. “My first exposure to the Authority was when I was assigned to work on the hydrant program,” said Grant. Back in the mid-1990s, the water system was taxed so severely by illegally opened or vandalized hydrants that three key branches of city government—fire, police and mayor—joined with the Authority to clamp down on the openings. Tampering with a hydrant reduces water pressure, hinders firefighting capabilities and threatens neighborhood safety. As part of the campaign, Grant visited elementary school students to talk about fire protection and to explain why opening hydrants is dangerous. Through the collaboration, sprinkler caps were placed on selected hydrants, and city parks offered sprinkler sites as a safe way for kids to cool off.

A profile from our “Connecting with Customers” annual report. The stories in the report remind us that service is what counts for you. Our reputation is built on strong, positive customer relationships.

Our Values

Prompt, courteous, service
Respect for our employees
Honesty and integrity
Safety, innovation and efficiency
Diversity
Recreational and educational opportunities