Waterlines: Fall-Winter 2009

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Conservation Easements Preserve Cheshire Properties

Over 45 acres of land in Cheshire, owned by one family for more than 275 years, was donated to the Authority and the Cheshire Land Trust. The family’s lineage includes Frederick Law Olmsted, the founder of landscape architecture and the nation’s foremost park maker.

To preserve the property as open space, the Thayer/McKee Family donated five parcels of land off South Brookvale Road, totaling 47.83 acres, by conservation easements. Conservation easements are a powerful, effective tool in the permanent preservation of private lands. The family wanted the two groups to have easements to allow continued protection of this property that they have owned since the 1700s.

Most of the property consists of undeveloped open space, primarily open fields and forest with hedgerows, streams and wetlands at the perimeter. The agricultural fields have been farmed for over 250 years. The five parcels range in size from 2.86 acres to 22.98 acres.

It’s been said that Olmsted, as an artist and landscape architect, painted with wooded slopes, lawns, banks and forest-covered hills. “It is obvious that the Thayer/McKee Family shares a passion to maintain this beautiful landscape in the community,” said Dianne Tompkins, senior land use manager at the Authority.

A conservation easement is a restriction placed on a piece of property to protect its associated resources. The easement is either voluntarily donated or sold by the landowner; it constitutes a legally binding agreement that limits certain types of uses or prevents development from taking place while the land remains in private hands. Conservation easements protect land for future generations and can be tailored to meet the needs of individual landowners.

CodeRed—Public Health Preparedness Relies on Telephone Communication

If a drinking water emergency strikes your town, be prepared for a phone call from the Regional Water Authority’s new emergency notification system. This new system, called CodeRed, allows us to quickly reach town residents using telephone communication.

CodeRed lets RWA officials deliver a prerecorded tailored message to either an entire community or a select portion of a city, advising residents about special precautions to take during a drinking water emergency.

The CodeRed telephone databases are the listings that are in the local printed telephone directories. We encourage our customers to register cell phones or unlisted phone numbers to be notified in case of a water emergency.

Please note that Branford, Cheshire and Milford are three municipalities within our water district that already use the CodeRed system. The RWA encourages all customers, including water consumers in those three towns already using CodeRed, to enroll at our website. Simply follow the CodeRed link to register name, address and phone number(s) to make sure you are not left off the drinking water emergency list. All numbers will remain confidential.

Is This Your Backup Plan to Fix Your Home’s Sewer Line? If it is, think again.

Sign up for PipeSafe(SM) Plus Sewer Line Protection. It’s a one-call rescue. You’ve trusted us as water experts to quickly repair broken or leaking water service lines. With PipeSafe Plus Sewer Line Protection, we’re offering the same security to customers facing problems with their sewer lines. The cost for this program is $40 annually.

PipeSafe Plus Making one call to get an expert response to your plumbing emergency saves time and money. But don’t take our word for it. Here’s a note from an Ansonia customer who used the program:

“Our problem was addressed quickly and there was no unexpected repair cost.” C. Gallant, Ansonia

If you want information or would like to sign up for PipeSafe Plus Sewer Line Protection, call us at 866-814-0820.

Attention: Teachers, Scout Leaders and Parents— Check Out Our Water Science Loan Boxes

Tell me, I’ll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me, and I’ll understand.
Chinese Proverb

Bridging the gap between understanding and memorization is a challenge for any educator. Any teacher or program that can do it effectively should be lauded for such work.

Our Whitney Water Center bridges the gap of learning and challenges young people in exciting “hands-on” environments. Now, through the use of our Water Science Loan Boxes, teachers, scout leaders and parents can bring our Whitney Water Center into their classroom or home to teach water science in a fun way.

All Water Science Loan Boxes contain detailed lesson plans for numerous hands-on activities and include all the necessary equipment. You just provide the water! Loan Boxes can be borrowed for a two-week period, free of charge, by anyone in our service area and cover a variety of topics including water conservation, water pollution and the water cycle. Typically, our Loan Boxes are used by teachers in public and private schools to supplement science curriculum. Loan Box activities also meet the environmental badge requirements of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The Loan Boxes are appropriate for grades pre-K and up and meet at least one of the Connecticut Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy Content Standards and Expected Performances. The boxes are not limited to use by students. At a community event, Loan Boxes are a fun and interesting way to give people an understanding of the importance of clean, healthy drinking water.

To view the variety of Loan Boxes available, go to www.rwater.com/education/loan-boxes. You can also call the Whitney Water Center at 203-777-1142. For your convenience, the Loan Boxes are delivered to and picked up at your location by our staff.

Frozen Pipe Prevention

Homeowners can take some simple precautions to prevent the inconvenience and expense of frozen water pipes.

Ensure that pipes in the lower level of the home are properly insulated. If the water pipes burst, it will interrupt water service and could lead to costly water damage. Don’t turn the heat down too low in your basement.
In addition to insulation, make sure that there are no direct drafts from open windows penetrating the basement or lower level exterior walls, as the wind and its chill factor lower temperatures even further.
Be sure meter vault covers are not cracked. If the meter is installed outside the home, it is housed inside a covered vault. Please check to be sure that the vault cover is not cracked and is secure. Otherwise, the meter may freeze.
For homes that do not have indoor shut-off valves for outdoor spigots, winterize outdoor spigots by purchasing insulation kits, also referred to as domes or caps.