Waterlines: Winter-Spring 2007

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The Kindest Cut—Community Forestry

The forest means different things to different people. For some, it means a refuge, a retreat, a place to escape and rest. To others it’s a home, a source of livelihood—or perhaps both. Forests play a key role in environmental and economic health in our region. And while balancing both responsible forestry and sound business objectives is a challenge, we believe it is one worth embracing.

The roughly 18,000 acres of Eli Whitney Forest help preserve water quality, moderate stream flows, promote groundwater recharge and reduce flooding. To safeguard the health and productivity of this precious resource, we have a forestry management plan to guide our use of wooded lands. The plan permits us to harvest trees in order to thin overcrowded or poorly formed woodland and allows us to replace healthy mature forest stands.

With the majority of our forest stands over 80 years old, we take an active approach so as to enhance the vigor and resilience of the forest. One method we commonly use to regenerate our forest stands is a shelter wood system. This approach allows us to harvest timber in a way that enables selected trees to continue providing shelter and seeds for regeneration. It also lets us add young stands to the forest landscape. Our goal is to create a healthy all-age forest—one that is diverse not only in age, but in tree species and structure.

Careful harvesting also provides us revenue without compromising the forest. During 2006, nearly 350 firewood permit holders cut 1,000 cords of renewable wood, the equivalent of 100,000 gallons of non-renewable oils. Commercial harvesting of large trees yields about one million board feet of timber each year. That’s enough to build approximately 100 three-bedroom homes. Revenue from the sale of forest products is about $160,000 annually.

Our prudent supervision of the forest sustains its growth, protects the quality of the region’s public water system, shelters diverse wildlife, provides raw materials for economic growth, and maintains the treasured natural beauty of our Southern New England landscape. If interested in learning more about the RWA firewood cutting program, please send an email to ask.info@rwater.com.

Annual Report: 2006-07

Water is a key element for a prosperous, healthy community. To us, sustainability is intertwined with the provision of water. Our 2006-07 Annual Report profiles a few of our projects that represent the essence of conservation and incorporate the needs of nature and community.

If you would like a copy of Face of Nature—Sustainable Solutions, please call 562-4020 or send an email to ask.info@rwater.com to request your copy.

A Word About Water Main Breaks

Main 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.

Recognition

The Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005, the Minnesota bridge collapse in August, and October’s California wildfires all made clear that disasters can strike close to home, affecting both the people and the companies that call a community home. Most companies have business continuity plans in place to address the potential impact of a disaster on their operations.

Here at the Regional Water Authority, we too have continuity plans to ensure that we continue to supply water under any circumstances. Recently, the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security recognized us for being compliant in the principles and practices of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). We are the first public water utility in the state to become NIMS compliant. As part of our emergency response program, 60 Authority employees were trained in NIMS.

NIMS is a comprehensive approach to managing an emergency situation or disaster. It is a process that integrates personnel, equipment and communication to operate within a common set of principles and procedures. Many local fire and police departments in the state follow NIMS protocol.

The Authority was also recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (CDC) with a Water Fluoridation Quality Award for maintaining optimal fluoride levels at its treatment facilities. Adding fluoride to the public water supplies is one of the public health achievements of the twentieth century. Fluoride, first added to municipal water systems in the 1940s, helps in stabilizing the enamel of teeth which prevents tooth decay.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health Drinking Water Section, who is responsible for monitoring the performance of public water systems in the state, issued the CDC’s award to the Authority.

Capital Projects

Nestled in neighborhoods, tucked behind trees and buried deep underground—that’s where you will find our work. From storage towers and state-of-the-art treatment facilities to underground water pipes, we ensure our fresh, clean water is delivered to your tap every day. Last year, we invested over $23 million in projects that range from installing and replacing water mains, to improvements at our treatment facilities, from a cleaning and cement-lining program for pipes, to purchasing watershed lands.

Each year, we undertake a number of projects that not only ensure our continuing ability to supply high-quality water but result in more efficient delivery. One of these annual projects is the cleaning and lining of iron water mains. We spend over $2 million to clean and cement-line several miles of unlined mains in a community. This year, we will operate in Branford. We have undertaken this work in Hamden, New Haven and East Haven. Through this program, we restore water mains at approximately half the cost of replacement.

Protecting our water sources is important. Last year, we devoted over $2 million to acquire over 169 acres of land in the region. All of the property is within the watershed of our reservoirs. We dedicate resources to this because acquiring the land strengthens our multi-barrier approach to producing quality water for customers.

Our Mission, Our Values

Our Mission

Provide a reliable supply of high-quality water at a reasonable cost for today and future generations while promoting the preservation of watershed land and aquifers.

Our Values

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