NEWTOWN, CT
WATER SUPPLY AQUIFERS
Each of the ten municipal plans of conservation and development has policies towards aquifers and water supply watersheds. Newtown's and the other nine have been copied and placed into one regional file to facilitate comparisons.

According to the United Water Company's 12/2002 Water Supply Plan "In the previous plan, United Water mentioned considering Turkey Hill Road/Toddy Hill Road {north of the current well field} as a site for a proposed future source of water supply. This area, however, is known to be contaminated with volatile organic chemicals.

United Water is presently looking in the Sandy Hook area {the Newtown at Housatonic Aquifer} for distant future use unless the need arises sooner. Another option is an interconnection with the Aquarion Water Company at the Monroe Town Line that would be used for emergency supply."

1) Pond Brook Aquifer: Along the western edge of Newtown is the Pond Brook Aquifer in the Hawleyville section. This aquifer extends from I-84 Exit 9 north to Currituck Road and includes an extension into Brookfield.

2) Limekiln Brook Aquifer: Then well to to the south along Route 302 in the Dodgingtown section is found the Limekiln Brook Aquifer extending into Bethel.

3) Upper Aspetuck Aquifer: Further to the south, in the southwest corner of Newtown along the Redding line is the Upper Aspetuck Aquifer, following the Aspetuck River along Poverty Hollow Road.

4) North Branch Pootatuck Aquifer: Moving easterly to central Newtown is found the small North Branch Pootatuck Aquifer, under a level area adjacent to the North Branch of the Pootatuck River. This resource is bounded on the south by Palestine Road and Platts Hill Road and is crossed by both Beaver Dam Road and Brushy Hill Road.

5) Deep Brook Aquifer: The next Newtown aquifer is nearly due north, the Deep Brook Aquifer. It lies along wetlands on Route 302 starting near Head of Meadow Road.

6) Pootatuck Aquifer: We then proceed east to the very large and important Pootatuck Aquifer, following the south to north river valley of that name. It extends from the intersection of Botsford Hill Road and Route 25 on the south northerly along the Pootatuck to the Sandy Hook section north of I-84.

7) Newtown at Housatonic Aquifer: The remaining aquifer in Newtown is the smaller Newtown at Housatonic Aquifer, located on the west shore of the Housatonic River just upstream from its confluence with the Pootatuck River, under the level area east of Walnut Tree Hill Road.

NEWTOWN, CT EXISTING
WATER SUPPLY WATERSHEDS
Town residents and business rely entirely upon groundwater for their supply needs, and no surface supplies are used. The only water supply watershed area is in the southernmost section of Newtown. But of historical note, there was once a small water supply reservoir, Taunton Pond, with a drainage area of about 830 acres, that was decommissioned some years ago.

1) Aspetuck River Watershed: Approximately 2,060 acres of land in the southwestern most section of Newtown, part of the Aspetuck River Watershed along Poverty Hollow Road, drains thru Redding to the Aquarion Company's Aspetuck Reservoir in Easton and Fairfield. Some of this drinking water is then pumped back up gradient into the Region, to Ridgefield, CT.

2) Pequonnock River Watershed: About 80 acres of land, near Lantern Drive west of Route 25 along the border with Monroe, is in the Pequonnock River Watershed. This water supply watershed at first tributary to the West Branch of the Pequonnock River but then diverted in Monroe to the Easton Reservoir, which is part of the Aquarion Company's resources.

NEWTOWN, CT
POTENTIAL WATER MAIN
CONNECTIONS TO DANBURY
Water Main Connections to Danbury: As shown in this 2006 study, there is a potential interconnection with Danbury thru northern Bethel.

UNITED WATER COMPANY SERVING NEWTOWN
Proceed to the report of the United Water Company concerning service to Newtown.

CT DEP CLASSIFICATION
OF STREAMS IN NEWTOWN
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) has developed water quality standards in conjunction with the principles of the federal Clean Water Act.

As a result each stream or water body in the Region has two classifications, one for existing use, and one for ultimate future use, written in a existing/future format such as "B/A" or "A/AA". The highest standards are reserved of existing and potential water supply areas, which are AA.

The DEP seeks to bring every water body in the State to a minimum classification of "B" or better, which would not be suitable for human consumption without treatment, but could be suitable for recreational use, fish and wildlife habitat, agricultural and industrial supply, and other legitimate uses.

There is a non degradation policy such that stream now AA or A cannot be reduced to B to allow discharges from industries or treatment plants. The classification system and application to Newtown is summarized below:

Class AA: Designated uses are existing or proposed drinking water supply, fish and wildlife habitat, some recreational use, agricultural and industrial supply. Discharges severely restricted.

Class A: Designated uses is potential drinking water supply; fish and wildlife habitat; recreational use; agricultural and industrial supply and other legitimate uses including navigation. Discharges severely restricted. No reclassification of A or AA allowed down to B.

Class B: Designated uses are varied and include discharges from industrial and municipal wastewater treatment facilities providing Best Available Treatment and Best Management Practices are applied. All water bodies must eventually reach the minimum standards of the B classification.

Classes C and D: Indicates unacceptable quality, the goal is Class B or Class A and DEP will issue orders to require improvement.

1. Aspetuck Reservoir tributaries north of its confluence with an unnamed tributary flowing into the Aspetuck River from the north end of the old Redding Landfill: AA/AA. Then the Aspetuck River from the same unnamed tributary south to the Redding Line: B/AA.

2. Deep Brook from east of Route 25 at Park Lane flowing north then east around the old hospital campus to the Pootatuck River: B/A. Also, an unnamed tributary to Deep Brook near Grand Place flowing easterly to Deep Brook: B/A.

3. Housatonic River forming eastern boundary of Newtown (as Lake Lillinonah and then Lake Zoar): D/B. The severe D rating is due to PCB contaminated bottom sediments.

4. Pequonnock River tributary reaching north into Newtown from Monroe: AA/AA.

5. Pootatuck River from the Monroe Line north to Deep Brook just south of I-84: B/A. Also, Cold Spring Brook from west of the railroad tracks flowing northwesterly to join the Pootatuck River: B/A. Then the Pootatuck River from the confluence with Deep Brook flowing north to the Housatonic River as Lake Zoar: B/B.

6. Taunton Pond: B/A.

7. All other streams in Newtown such as Gelding Brook, Halfway River, Limekiln Brook, North Branch Pootatuck, Pond Brook, etc: A/A.

MAIN WATER PAGE BETHEL BRIDGEWATER BROOKFIELD DANBURY
NEW FAIRFIELD NEW MILFORD NEWTOWN REDDING RIDGEFIELD SHERMAN