South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority

Last updated
The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (SCCRWA)
FormerlyNew Haven Water Company
IndustryWater Utility
FounderEli Whitney II
Headquarters
New Haven, Connecticut
Area served
South Central Connecticut
Website www.rwater.com

The South Central Connecticut Regional WaterAuthority (SCCRWA or RWA) is a public water supply utility in Connecticut, United States. The RWA supplies water in a 15-town region with a population of about 430,000. The RWA acts as a steward of the environment in the local region by protecting more than 26,000 acres of watershed lands, and promoting sustainability. [1]

Contents

The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority is a non-profit public corporation and political subdivision of the State of Connecticut, but its core business was originally established and operated as the New Haven Water Company, a private business.

The RWA produces on average 55 million gallons of water daily. One of its conduits is the Genesee Tunnel.

History

South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority's Lake Watrous in Woodbridge Connecticut reflecting West Rock Ridge shrouded in early morning mist. The dam is in the distance on the far right. RWA's Lake Watrous reservoir reflecting West Rock Ridge shrouded in early morning mist.jpg
South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority's Lake Watrous in Woodbridge Connecticut reflecting West Rock Ridge shrouded in early morning mist. The dam is in the distance on the far right.

The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority was originally established in 1849 as the New Haven Water Company. One of the company's founders was Eli Whitney II. In 1849, Whitney began construction of a dam that impounded the Mill River to form a reservoir, which is now named Lake Whitney. When the Safe Drinking Water Act was implemented in the 1970s, the former New Haven Water Company planned to sell off watershed lands to offset costs associated with maintaining compliance with the drinking water standards. Seeing the loss of public lands as an ecological loss and potentially detrimental to source water quality, the state legislator stepped in and reformed the New Haven Water Company into a new quasi-governmental organization. [2]

The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority was established in 1977 by the Connecticut General Assembly and purchased the assets of the New Haven Water Company in 1980. In January 2008, the RWA purchased the former Ansonia division of Birmingham Utilities, [3] which added Ansonia, Derby, and Seymour to its service area, which also includes the towns of Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, East Haven, Hamden, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, West Haven and Woodbridge.

Reservoirs

Drinking water distributed by the RWA comes from 10 reservoirs and three aquifers. Over 80 percent of drinking water supplied in the RWA district originates from four reservoir systems: North Branford, Saltonstall, West River and Whitney. The rest of the RWA's water comes from wellfields that draw from the Quinnipiac and Mill River Aquifers located in Cheshire and Hamden, as well as the Housatonic River aquifer in Derby and Seymour.

Recreation Program

The RWA makes select watershed areas available for hiking, fishing and other activities through its recreation program. Recreation program permit holders can access more than 50 miles of trails and five reservoirs in nine recreation areas spread across 13 communities in Greater New Haven. [4] Revenue generated from the recreation program is used to support the RWA's conservation work.

RWA recreation permit holders are able to enjoy the following recreation properties: Lake Saltonstall, Maltby Lakes, Hammonasset, Sugarloaf Hills, Genesee, Big Gulph, Lake Bethany, Pine Hill, and Lake Chamberlain. The RWA regularly holds fishing competitions, nature walks and other family-friends events for recreation permit holders.

HazWaste Central

On Saturdays from mid-May to October, the RWA opens HazWaste Central, the only permanent household hazardous waste collection facility in Connecticut. Residents from towns participating in HazWaste Central can drop off their household hazardous waste items for free. [5] Household hazardous waste items include: kitchen and bathroom cleaning products, nail polish remover, gasoline, paint thinner, antifreeze, auto batteries, used motor oil, latex and oil-based paints, pesticides, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and more. Once hazardous waste items have been turned over, they will be safely disposed of through incineration, placement in special landfills, or recycled and reused if it is possible to do so.

HazWaste Central helps protect the water resources in Greater New Haven, while providing cost-effective municipal services. Because the chemicals are safely collected, the land and important waterways are not polluted. Current HazWaste Central participating towns are: Bethany, Branford, East Haven, Fairfield, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Meriden, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven and Woodbridge.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Haven County, Connecticut</span> County in Connecticut, United States

New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's largest cities, New Haven (3rd) and Waterbury (5th), are part of New Haven County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branford, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Branford is a shoreline town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, about 6 miles (10 km) east of downtown New Haven. The population was 28,273 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamden, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant". The population was 61,169 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Branford, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

North Branford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,544 at the 2020 census. The town is primarily known for agriculture and for other points of interest including Lake Gaillard and Northford Ice Pavilion. Wallingford, Durham, and North Haven border it to the north- East Haven to the west, Guilford to the east, and Branford to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Haven, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 27,923. Located 3 miles (5 km) east of New Haven, it is part of the Greater New Haven area. East Haven is 35 miles (56 km) from Hartford, 82 miles (132 km) from New York City, 99 miles (159 km) from Providence, Rhode Island, and 140 miles (230 km) from Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Rivers Authority</span>

The National Rivers Authority (NRA) was one of the forerunners of the Environment Agency of England and Wales, existing between 1989 and 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mill River (Connecticut)</span>

The Mill River is a river in New Haven County, Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area codes 203 and 475</span> Area codes for southwestern Connecticut

Area codes 203 and 475 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The numbering plan area (NPA) is mostly coextensive with the Connecticut portion of the New York metropolitan area, and comprises most of Fairfield County, all of New Haven County, and a small portion of Litchfield County.

Connecticut's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the central part of the state, the district includes the city of New Haven and its surrounding suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Saltonstall (Connecticut)</span> Body of water

Lake Saltonstall, is a long narrow lake located in south-central Connecticut. It covers an area of approximately 0.66 square miles (1.7 km2) and is nestled in the center of the trap rock Saltonstall Mountain. The lake is surrounded by forest and serves as part of the local water supply for surrounding towns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Whitney (Connecticut)</span> Body of water

Lake Whitney is a lake in Hamden, Connecticut, that is a part of the Mill River. The lake was a water source for the New Haven, Connecticut, metro area, until its associated treatment plant became antiquated in the 1990s. A new water treatment facility was constructed in the early 2000s rated for up to 15 million gallons per day. Lake Whitney now serves as one of four primary sources of surface water for the RWASouth Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. RWA also operates a gravity release from the dam when there is no flow over the spillway, and operates an "Eel Pass" in conjunction with CT DEEP to assist with eel migration over the dam.

The Genesee Tunnel is an underground water pipeline operated by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, part of the Authority's source water distribution system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Totoket Mountain</span>

Totoket Mountain, with a high point of (est.) 720 feet (220 m) above sea level, is a traprock massif with several distinct summits, located 7 miles (11 km) northeast of New Haven, Connecticut. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge that extends from the Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border. Totoket Mountain is known for its 500-foot-high (150 m) scenic cliffs, unique microclimate ecosystems, rare plant communities, and for Lake Gaillard, a 2.5-mile-wide (4.0 km) public reservoir nearly enclosed by the mountain. The north ridge of Totoket Mountain is traversed by the 50-mile (80 km) Mattabesett Trail and a significant network of shorter trails. The name "Totoket Mountain" applies to both the entire mountain and to a subordinate northwestern peak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltonstall Mountain</span>

Saltonstall Mountain, also known as Saltonstall Ridge, with a high point of (est.) 320 feet (98 m) above sea level, is a traprock mountain ridge located 3 miles (5 km) east of New Haven, Connecticut and 1.75 miles (2.8 km) north of Long Island Sound. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border. Saltonstall Mountain is known for its 100 foot (30 m) scenic cliff faces and sharp ridgeline, unique microclimate ecosystems, rare plant communities, and for Lake Saltonstall, a 3 miles (5 km) long by 0.3 miles (400 m) wide municipal reservoir nearly enclosed by the mountain. Saltonstall Mountain is traversed by a number of hiking trails managed by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (SCCRWA) and Branford Land Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Rock Ridge</span>

West Rock Ridge or West Rock of south-central Connecticut, is a 7-mile (11 km) long trap rock mountain ridge located on the west side of New Haven with a high point of 700 feet (213 m). The ridge forms a continuous line of exposed cliffs visible from metropolitan New Haven and points west. West Rock Ridge is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge which extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naugatuck State Forest</span>

Naugatuck State Forest is a Connecticut state forest consisting of five separate blocks in the towns of Oxford, Beacon Falls, Naugatuck, Bethany, Cheshire, Hamden, Seymour, and Ansonia. The five blocks are the Mount Sanford, East, West, Quillinan Reservoir, and Great Hill (Seymour) blocks.

Lake Gaillard in North Branford, Connecticut, began during the 1920s, when the New Haven Water Company started buying land in North Branford from the area of Totoket Mountain to what is now known as Sea Hill Road, with the intention of building a reservoir. "The regional water authority currently owns 34.9% of the land within North Branford, most of these holdings surrounds Lake Gaillard, the largest reservoir within the Regional Water Authority’s water supply."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farm River (Connecticut)</span> River in Connecticut, United States

Farm River is a south-flowing river located entirely within the U.S. state of Connecticut. Because it begins as freshwater in its northern reaches and flows into tidal salt water at Long Island Sound, Farm River is by definition an estuary. The river is 16.5 miles (26.6 km) long.

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". Regional Water Authority. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  2. ↑ "STATE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS; WATER COMPANIES; WATER AND RELATED RESOURCES". Connecituct State Office of Legislative Research. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  3. ↑ "Birmingham Utilities Announces Sale of Company to South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority and The Connecticut Water Company". Business Wire. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  4. ↑ "Recreation". Regional Water Authority. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  5. ↑ "| Connecticut Regional Water Authority". Regional Water Authority. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.