ISSUE OF DROUGHT/SWCT water diversion application by Aquarion, 2021; 
PFAS BEGAN TO BE AN ISSUE HERE
New threat to surface and groundwater?  Now threats to rural private water wells?  Air quality too?  We are on the case!  So was the COURANT!  Leader in 2021 - CT MIRROR

  

D R O U G H T    M E A S U R E S:  And related water matters.    News from White House:  http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/White-House-Water-Summit-Highlights-IsraeliCalifornia-Innovation-373142751.html

• We don't see any problems for Weston in second draft (rev.) - QUESTION:  So why are we doing MS4?
• ANSWER:  "Climate change" and flooding require separation of storm water (rain) from grey water (not "sewage" which requires "sewerage" systems). 
• Where does L.I.S. Blue Plan fit in?  Good question - but L.I.S. Blue Plan does not duplicate other measures already in place. 
• As recommended in 2003 CT Plan - http://www.ct.gov/opm/lib/opm/igp/org/adopteddroughtplan.pdf
• "A drought is not a distinct event that has a clearly defined beginning and end; nor does it affect all water users equally."

• NEWS:  AG to the rescue?  Spill news in upstate river...no standards yet for private wells? 
  
• Aquarion water restrictions permanent (last drought);
  
• Is this a case for...Consumer Counsel?  
• And how about CT Water being sold to California water company? (2019)
  
• Guess what?  As soon as the State  declared a drought watch it started raining!  And then some:  http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/20171030/overnight-storm-leaves-destruction-outages-across-region
• Draft CT Water Planning Council Report link to their activity coming...the underlying legislation here.
  
• Whoa - 47% of tests in Weston high arsenic?  Westport?  U.S.G.S. report on groundwater (2017):  The fix -  http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Some-wells-in-state-have-high-levels-of-arsenic-11124786.php
  
• REPORT ON MDC-like GROUPS:  http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/good_government_group_grades_the_fiscal_transparency_of_special_districts/ 
  
• Water usage rate down (check Metropolitan District proposals when they emerge) -  http://www.nhregister.com/business/20170129/regional-water-authority-looking-to-raise-revenue-outside-of-rate-hikes
• Drought 2016 Chronologically...NOW OVER (5-17)
  
• 2017 April report on drought - http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Southern-Fairfield-County-now-out-of-drought-11070802.php
  
• CT DROUGHT "advisory" June 27, 2016:  http://www.thewestonforum.com/65989/state-issues-drought-advisory/
• Latest report on CT drought conditions (August 11);  
  
• September 19, 2016 water restrictions news; 
  
• Greenwich ordinance on sprinklers;  
  
• Water testing from the tap techniques...NEWS on uranium testing in CT;
  
• Flint story:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36927522
  
• Water levels - http://www.thewestonforum.com/57270/why-is-the-reservoir-so-low/
• CT DROUGHT October:  http://www.westport-news.com/news/article/Aquarion-urging-more-water-conservation-6592889.php#photo-8857801; last month - 2015;
  
• Hot weather and relation to drought?
  
• National food policy needed?
  
• CT Water Status
• Federal level
• Drought
• Interactive maps

• How much water used?  From Channel 12 - "Greenwich officials says the town uses 12 to 15 million gallons of water a day in the winter. But in a hot and dry summer, that number jumps to 32 million gallons a day.."
  
• Water shortage U.S. and issues related  link.
• Previous recent droughts...2002, 2007,2010, 2012.  State of Connecticut sets up Water Planning Council and in 2003, a report issued including this sub-committee report.
• U.S.G.S. for CT;
• Water quality issues:  News from our metropolitan region:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/05/nyregion/new-york-officials-move-to-regulate-towers-tied-to-legionnaires-disease-outbreak.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
  

Elsewhere






PFA's in 2021

...A wider search for PFAS contamination

PFAS have been used  in the United States for decades to produce things like non-stick pans, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant carpets, grease-resistant food packaging and a firefighting foam that was routinely sprayed during emergencies and training exercises.  That firefighting product grabbed news headlines in Connecticut in 2019 when a private hangar at Bradley International Airport, north of Hartford, spilled an estimated 21,000 gallons of the chemical-laden foam into the Farmington River.

...(Rep. Christine) Cohen (Chair. of Environment Committee) and other legislators voted in June to spend $2.3 million over the next two years to pay for testing and treatment of drinking water that is shown to be contaminated.

• Senator from CT has a press conference - surprise!!!  We wonder if there are other than fire prevention types of PFAS?  
  
• "Fruit and vegetables most likely to be contaminated",,,from internet source:
  
• apples,
  
• bell peppers,
  
• celery,
  
• cherries,
  
• grapes,
  
• nectarines,
  
• peaches,
  
• pears,
  
• potatoes,
  
• raspberries,
  
• spinach, and
  
• strawberries 
  
• Pesticides used in food production include PFAS.

...“Food in general is a significant contributor to the public [exposure],” Toal said. “Everyone has some PFAS in their blood. To a large extent that’s probably from food.”

Lamont gave the task force an Oct. 1 deadline to submit an initial draft. Once public comments are incorporated, a final report will be submitted by Nov. 1.

Toal said only five of the 4,700 PFAS chemicals have been identified as toxic, and there is too little information on the rest to make a definitive conclusion about their health effects. Other states and countries have moved to classify them as as potentially hazardous as a group rather than individually, he said.

“There’s a national push to try to consider all of these as a class of substances that should be regulated,” Toal said....

https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2715&Q=609572&deepNav_GID=1626


PFAS HEALTH COMMITTEE
     

  

    

• 4 sources in CT - test their source letter went out.
• Finished bottled water.
• Make sure bottled water doesn't have PFAS
• Food packaging.
  

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE SETS GROUND RULES FOR OFFICIAL PUBLIC COMMENT...

 
CT COMMISSIONER OF DPH OPENS MEETING...SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS CLICK HERE

 
GREENWICH HEALTH DIRECTOR  HAS HISTORY WITH PFAS;  "REMEDIATION" COMMITTEE

• Lead speaker was Greenwich Health Director, who spoke to how PFAS from Westchester airport affected northern Greenwich.
• Univese of PFAS sites:  SIC code used to identify potential danger;  public wells field, CT dumps.
• Groundwater sampling?  Different method needed...domestic wastewater.
• Methods not developed.  Background concentration?

How to evaluate background?  Drainage basin by basin x "universe."  Test soil?  Effluent upstream sources, discharge limits.  Soil remediation options.

  
SOME QUESTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 9th...(WMS LIBRARY, 7:30PM)

• Does the CT taskforce directed by DEEP & DPH on PFAS relate to our Town Plan?
• How many private wells in CT?  
  
• What is "PFAS" anyway? 
  
• When did these "forever chemicals" come to be and where is it used? 
  
• One of these "forever" chemical products, foam, used in firefighting, has recently entered the Farmington River after a  "spill" at a nearby airport.
• Does it seep into the groundwater, too?
  

DEEP COMMISSIONER VS. NBC:  DPH P.R. CALMS THINGS (jmo)

http://www.ctn.state.ct.us/ctnplayer.asp?odID=16619
 

Friday afternoon run by DPH -  August 16, 2019



    
Friday morning session run by D.E.E.P.

AUGUST MEETING:  All morning.  Introduction of everyone in the audience.  Releases of PFAS.  "DOTS" for priority.  We note there was another meeting that was referred to as well.

• Military, recycling
  
• Landfill
• firefighting
• wastewater treatment
• floor wax
• electronics recycling
• dams?
• junkyards.
  
• NETWORK WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE
• How to notify people?
  

           

          

AUGUST MEETING - afternoon session until 3pm...we watched this first.

     

      
PANIC?

  
SOURCES?  Representative of MDC (r.) got a tongue lashing in the morning session...

THEY JUST REALIZED PFAS MIGHT ENDANGER DRINKING WATER

• Lamont’s action comes as state and local health officials plan to test between 14 and 20 private drinking water wells in Windsor that could have been contaminated by the spill of PFAS firefighting foam at Bradley International Airport on June 8.
• State health officials are urging people not to eat fish caught in the Farmington, but say recreational use of the river by boaters and swimmers doesn’t pose any significant health risk. Additional state tests on water, fish and sediments are now scheduled, some for as soon as this week.
• PFAS, nicknamed “forever chemicals” because of how long they can last in the environment, has been linked in studies to thyroid cancer, kidney and liver diseases, obesity and reproductive problems.
  

 

ABOVE COMMISSIONERS OF D.P.H. &  D.E.E.P.

M.D.C. story:  http://www.courant.com/weather/hc-br-new-years-day-weather-20180101-story.html

"...There is a newly arisen possibility for resolving the current mess, outside of a renewed complaint to the FOI Commission, and his name is David Silverstone. Silverstone was announced more than a week ago as the new consumer advocate for MDC customers, effective Jan. 1.

"His part-time MDC position was created under a new reform law that legislators passed in reaction to public dissatisfaction with the MDC’s handling of its deal with Niagara, and Silverstone said he’ll be gearing up before he officially starts. As part of that, he’ll meet next week with members of Save Our Water CT.

"Rossetti said she’ll be interested in what Silverstone says about whether the MDC information should be released. Silverstone said he knows he’ll need to take a position on the issue, but is 'not there yet'.”

DOES THIS AFFECT WESTON?  YES - The Ravenwood system as well (no pun intended) as the Town/School water supply wells.  Also, we note the implications of this (related to cluster zoning):

Sec. 129. (NEW) (Effective from passage until June 30, 2019) (a) As used in this section:

(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee;

(2) "Community water system" means a public water system that regularly serves at least twenty-five residents;

(3) "Customer" means any person, firm, corporation, company, association, governmental unit, lessee that, by the terms of a written lease or agreement, is responsible for the water bill, or owner of property that receives water service furnished by the water company;

(4) "Consumer" has the same meaning as provided in section 25-32a of the general statutes;

(5) "Department" means the Department of Public Health;

(6) "Noncommunity water system" means a public water system that serves at least twenty-five persons at least sixty days of the year and is not a community water system;

(7) "Nontransient noncommunity public water system" means a public water system that is not a community public water system and that regularly serves at least twenty-five of the same persons over six months per year;

(8) "Transient noncommunity public water system" means a noncommunity water system that does not meet the definition of a nontransient noncommunity water system;

(9) "Public water system" means a water company that supplies drinking water to fifteen or more consumers or twenty-five or more persons daily at least sixty days of the year;

(10) "Service connections" mean the total number of service pipes from the main to the curb stop or adjacent to the street line or property line, but shall not include a service pipe used for fire service purposes only; and

(11) "Water company" has the same meaning as provided in section 25-32a of the general statutes.

(b) Each water company that owns a community public water system or systems and each water company that owns a nontransient noncommunity public water system or systems shall annually pay to the department, until June 30, 2019, a safe drinking water primacy assessment to support the department's ability to maintain primacy under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC 300f, et seq. If a water company is acquired by another water company for any reason, the acquiring water company shall pay the acquired water company's amount due to the department, until June 30, 2019, for the safe drinking water primacy assessment.

(c) On or before March 1, 2018, and annually thereafter until June 30, 2019, each water company that owns a community water system or systems shall report to the department in a form and manner prescribed by the department the number of service connections that its community public water system or systems served in the preceding calendar year, which number may be subject to audit by the department.

(d) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, the safe drinking water primacy assessment shall not exceed two million five hundred thousand dollars. Each nontransient noncommunity public water system and community water system having less than fifty service connections shall be assessed one hundred twenty-five dollars. Each community water system having at least fifty but less than one hundred service connections shall be assessed one hundred fifty dollars. Each community water system having at least one hundred service connections shall be assessed an amount established by the commissioner not to exceed four dollars per service connection.

(e) On or before July 1, 2018, and annually thereafter until June 30, 2019, the department, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall:

(1) Post on the department's Internet web site the costs to support the department's ability to maintain primacy under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC 300f, et seq. , which costs shall constitute the safe drinking water primacy assessment for the relevant fiscal year; and

(2) Post on the department's Internet web site the assessment amount due, based on the costs posted under subdivision (1) of this subsection, for each service connection a community water system serves and the assessment amount due for each nontransient noncommunity water system.

(f) (1) On or before October 1, 2018, the department shall issue an invoice to each water company that owns a community water system or systems for the assessment amount due based on the number of service connections the community water system or systems serves.

(2) On or before January 1, 2019, each water company that owns a community water system or systems shall pay to the department fifty per cent of the assessment amount due for such water company. On or before May 31, 2019, and annually thereafter, each water company shall pay to the department the remaining fifty per cent of its assessment amount due.

(g) (1) On or before January 1, 2019, the department shall issue an invoice to each water company that owns a nontransient noncommunity water system or systems for the assessment amount due.

(2) On or before March 1, 2019, each water company that owns a nontransient noncommunity water system or systems shall pay to the department the assessment amount due for such water company.

(h) (1) A water company that owns a community water system may collect the assessment amount due for the community water system from a customer of such community water system. The amount collected by the water company from an individual customer may be a pro rata share of such assessment amount. Such amount may appear as a separate item on the customer's bills.

(2) The assessment amount due for a community water system under subdivision (1) of this subsection may be adopted in rates through the existing rate approval process for the water company or may appear as a separate item identified as a safe drinking water primacy assessment on each customer's water bill without requiring a revision to or approval of the schedule of authorized rates and charges for the water company that is otherwise required pursuant to section 7-239 or 16-19 of the general statutes or any other special act or enabling legislation establishing a water company. Such charges shall be subject to the past due and collection procedures, including interest charges, of the water company as are applicable to any other authorized customer charge or fee.

(i) The requirement for a water company to pay the safe drinking water primacy assessment shall terminate immediately if the department no longer has primacy under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC 300f, et seq. , whether removed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency or any other action by a state or federal authority. If the safe drinking water primacy assessment is terminated and not reinstated on or before one hundred eighty days after such termination, the water company shall credit its customers any amounts collected from such customers for such assessment amount that the water company is no longer required to pay to the department.

(j) The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to carry out the provisions of this section.

(k) If any safe drinking water primacy assessment is not paid on or before thirty days after the date when such assessment is due, the commissioner may impose a fee equal to one and one-half per cent of such assessment for each month of nonpayment beyond such initial thirty-day period.

(l) State agencies and transient noncommunity public water systems shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.

Sec. 130. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section:

(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee;

(2) "Community water system" means a public water system that regularly serves at least twenty-five residents;

(3) "Customer" means any person, firm, corporation, company, association, governmental unit, lessee that, by the terms of a written lease or agreement, is responsible for the water bill, or owner of property that receives water service furnished by the water company;

(4) "Department" means the Department of Public Health;

(5) "Noncommunity water system" means a public water system that serves at least twenty-five persons at least sixty days of the year and is not a community water system;

(6) "Nontransient noncommunity public water system" means a public water system that is not a community public water system and that regularly serves at least twenty-five of the same persons over six months per year;

(7) "Transient noncommunity public water system" means a noncommunity water system that does not meet the definition of a nontransient noncommunity water system; and

(8) "Water company" has the same meaning as provided in section 25-32a of the general statutes.

(b) On or before January 1, 2019, the commissioner, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and representatives of water companies, shall develop a methodology for a safe drinking water primacy assessment on community water systems and transient and nontransient noncommunity water systems for the purposes of meeting federal requirements for the department to maintain primacy for the enforcement of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC 300f, et seq. , as amended from time to time. The methodology shall include calculation of the fee to be assessed and procedures to implement the fee. In developing the methodology, the commissioner may consider the frequency and timing of customer billing and delinquency rates for customer payment. The commissioner shall provide for a public comment period of thirty days following the development of such methodology. At the conclusion of such public comment period, but not later than February 15, 2019, the commissioner shall submit his or her recommendation for legislation necessary to implement such methodology to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health.

Although we do not follow the Water Planning Council religiously, whenever we do tune in it is interesting and relevant!

   
This was an Advisory Group meeting, and turnover from old to new administration dominates.
A familiar faces abound!  Review about what else CT Water Plan says they should look at.  Another (Haskins) on the phone. 

(1)   All   public   comments   received   pursuant   to   this subsection,  and
(2)  the  changes  made to  the  finalized  state  water  plan in response to such comments and the reasons for such changes.

Watch for  1)a Plan summary report and  2)recommendation for interconnection formalized between companies and regions - in statute section 22a-352 of the C.G.S.- Section 1 (b) (5).


And then is was over.  NEXT MEETING AUGUST 1, 2017

----

Index page:  http://www.ct.gov/waterstatus/site/default.asp

Direct links here:  http://www.ct.gov/waterstatus/cwp/view.asp?a=3233&q=397052&waterstatusNav=|

Stricter Regulation Of Water Supply Discussed At Hearing

          
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT COMMISSION

  

         
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT COMMISSION

                      

THE PUBLIC HEARING BEGINS...you get the drift (punctuation marks separate individual comments [not every speaker has a picture])

  

        

             

          

    
COMMISSIONERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF "COMMENT"

HARTFORD COURANT news story Dec. 1, 2016:   http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hartford-cityline/hc-hartford-moodys-mdc-reserve-fund-1202-20161201-story.html
Summary:  Moody's pleased.  "...The Metropolitan District's reserve fund, approved reluctantly by member towns, was tagged as a positive step by Moody's Investors Service, though the ratings agency warned the designation could change if the fund is later eliminated."

The reserve plan, adopted as part of the district's budget, forces member towns to each pay a portion of Hartford's sewer fees should the city become insolvent.

  

From the Federal level:



Seven-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year (CT):http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?id=pa07d&sid=w__map|m__pa07d_nwc&r=ct

Map of real-time stream compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year (CT):  http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?m=real&r=ct&w=map
 

AQUARION ISN'T WAITING FOR CT TO DECIDE

What drought looks like.
S A U G A T U C K    R E S E R V O I R    D E C E M B E R    2 0 1 6   A B O V E

State In Minor Drought, But Local Crop Prices Unlikely To Rise
The Hartford Courant
By KRISTIN STOLLER, kstoller@courant.com
5:45 PM EDT, July 21, 2012

Connecticut's dry summer has left many lawns brown but farmers say it will have no effect on the state's crop prices. Despite Friday's rain, greater Hartford has received only 28 percent of the normal rainfall through July 20, said Andy Mussoline, a meteorologist at AccuWeather.com.

Typically, the area gets about 2.47 inches of rain at this time of year, but has only received .68 inches so far, he said. For Tony Botticello of Botticello Farms, the dry spell has meant more work for him and his farmers. At his farm in Manchester, farmers must continue to irrigate and pump water from the nearby Connecticut River — resulting in some farmers working as late as midnight.

"It's a lot more work," Botticello said. "If we didn't do that, we wouldn't be able to harvest anything..."

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.

ELSEWHERE...IN CT, U.S.A. AND THE GLOBE

U.S.  INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER REPORTAGE BY I-BBC

LEAD

http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-lead-testing/


EARLIER
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pollution-report-specialreport-idUSKCN11Y1BH

FAST FORWARD TO NOV. 16, 2016 SELECTMEN'S MEETING AND WE BEGIN TO SEE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ROUTE 57 STORM SEWERS...



FRONT AND CENTER 2017:  STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FOR WESTON:  http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/water/ic/Weston_MS4_Fact_Sheet.pdf

• Greenwich:  http://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Western-s-fields-to-remain-open-while-officials-7304499.php
  
• Flint, Michigan:   http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/14/us/in-flint-rashes-stirfears-of-showering-as-scientists-hunt-forculprit.html?action=click&contentCollection=us&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront
  
• First criminal charges:  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/us/first-criminal-charges-are-filed-in-flint-water-crisis.html
  
• EPA asking DEEP to set standards for storm water runoff; 
• CT DEP and Health Department monitoring wells here just in case.
•  Link to terrific story and NYTimes graphic.  U.S.G.S. link;  How times do change!

• Repair leaks in plumbing and fixtures
• Switch to water-efficient toilets, washing machines and dishwashers
• Allow grass to grow longer; taller grass is healthier and requires less water
• Use brooms or blowers instead of water to clean decks, driveways and sidewalks
• Use a bucket and sponge to wash cars and boats instead of a running hose. Shut off ornamental water displays
• Don’t run the tap continuously while washing hands, shaving or brushing teeth
• Don’t stay in the shower as long as before
• Hand-wash dishes in a basin, not under running water.