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

1) West Mountain Aquifer: Starting on the west side of the the town, the West Mountain Aquifer is adjacent to the New York State line, under the Pumping Station Swamp, south of West Mountain Road (State Route 822) and west of Oscaleta Road.

2) Titicus Valley Aquifer: To the north of the resource above, also on the west side of the Town and adjacent to New York State, located between Route 116 and Mopus Bridge Road and in back of Ridgefield High School is the Titicus Valley Aquifer.

3) Upper Titicus Aquifer: Moving southwesterly to central Ridgefield, following the Titicus River Valley upstream, with Route 116 to the west and North Street to the east, is located the Upper Titicus Aquifer.

4) Great Swamp Aquifer: Not far away to the east but across the drainage divide and in the Norwalk River Watershed is the Great Swamp Aquifer. It lies underneath the Great Swamp, a major geographic feature which defines the eastern edge of Downtown Ridgefield.

5) Sugar Hollow Aquifer: Moving on to the eastern border of the Town, starting to the north is the Sugar Hollow Aquifer, crossed by Route 7 and Starrs Plain Road. The bulk of this aquifer is located in adjacent Danbury.

6) Little Pond Aquifer: To the south and not far from the Redding Town Line is the Little Pond Aquifer. It lies along Route 7 and the Norwalk River just south of the Routes 7 and 35 intersection commercial area.

7) Simpaug Aquifer: Continuing south down Route 7 is the Simpaug Aquifer. It is centered on the intersection of Route 7 with Simpaug Turnpike, with parts extending easterly into Redding.

8) Branchville Aquifer: Then in the southeastern corner of Ridgefield is the Branchville Aquifer, part of which is also located in the adjacent Town of Wilton.

it is important to note that in 1995 a consultant to the Ridgefield Planning and Zoning Commission issued a report entitled ”Aquifer Protection Study, Progress Report.” The primary conclusion was that “although all the stratified-drift aquifers in the Town are not fully defined, it is not cost-effective for the Town to perform additional studies to further characterize the aquifers.

The basis of this conclusion is the fact that very little of the public supply water comes from stratified-drift sources (only two wells at one of the well fields) and most of the newer domestic wells are drilled in bedrock. Some of the public supply wells are drilled through stratified-drift aquifers and completed in the underlying bedrock.

The stratified-drift are apparently not the preferred sources of water due to relatively thin saturated thicknesses, limited watershed areas, fine-grained zones within the aquifers and, in some cases, contamination. ...Due to the limited watershed areas, DEP permits for wells in stratified drift could be difficult to obtain due to potential impacts on aquatic habitats.”

Continuing, the State has a mandatory program that requires recharge area mapping (Level A and Level B) be performed for all wells completed in stratified drift that supply water to more than 1,000 people, and municipalities must develop aquifer protection ordinances for these recharge are areas. However, public supply wells completed in bedrock and domestic wells are not covered by the DEP requirements.

The only wells that the DEP will likely require mapping for are the two stratified-drift wells in the Oscaleta well field {in the West Mountain Aquifer}. Therefore, for most of the Town, there is no State regulatory requirement that aquifer protection regulations be adopted; however, municipalities are certainly able to go beyond the DEP requirements, as Ridgefield has done.”

The consultant then “recommended that the Town revisit the aquifer protection regulations and consider baseline actions that will protect bedrock aquifers in the Town of Ridgefield, keeping in mind that the primary sources of water for the residents of Ridgefield are the bedrock aquifers.

Note that with the current framework, a risky land use could end up being sited in an area outside an “aquifer protection zone” to supposedly be more protective of Ridgefield’s stratified-drift aquifers, but actually end up being closer to municipal or domestic wells that if it had been located in stratified drift.

Also note that one bedrock aquifers are contaminated, it is generally assumed in our profession that they are more difficult to clean up than sand and gravel aquifers.”

Also of interest are the CT Department of Public Health's assessment of well fields in Ridgefield maintained by the Aquarion Water Company.

RIDGEFIELD, CT EXISTING
WATER SUPPLY WATERSHEDS
Like Redding, large areas of Ridgefield are in use as water supply watersheds for other communities. Part or all of its three basic drainage orientations are in such use for a total of 62% of the Town's land area.

The three basic drainage orientations for Ridgefield are westward towards the Croton River in New York State, southward towards the coast of Long Island Sound, and northeasterly towards the Still River in Danbury. Of the ten municipalities ranked in terms of land area used for water supply watershed, the percentage for Ridgefield is exceeded only by that of Redding.

Only one small watershed tributary to the Round Pond Reservoir is used for water supply within Ridgefield. The remainder exported, mostly to New York City, but also to Danbury.

Most of the public water supply in Ridgefield arrives from the south via a regional pipeline. A 12/8/2000 CT DEP diversion of water application reads: “The applicant proposed to construct a pipeline and pump station to divert a maximum of 1.9 million gallons of water per day from the BHC Main System to the Georgetown section of Redding and Ridgefield for the purpose of providing public water supply.

The diversion will supply up to a maximum of 1.15 million gallons of water per day to Ridgefield and a maximum of 0.24 million gallons of water per day to the Georgetown section of Redding. The proposed activity will affect the Saugatuck, Aspetuck, and Mill Rivers, and Clicker Brook.”

Revisions to the diversion permit were being approved by CT DEP as of 8/2005, such that the Ridgefield figure of 1.15 million gallons per day was being increased to 1.30 million and the Georgetown figure of 0.24 was increased to 0.48 million gallons per day.

1) Croton River Watershed: All of the Croton River Watershed in Ridgefield, draining westerly into adjacent New York State, is in use as a water supply resource. This use of Ridgefield’s water by New York City dates from 1842.

The three divisions of the Croton Watershed in Ridgefield are that 1A) drained by the Titicus River, then 1B) just to the south by the Waccabuc River tributary to the Cross River, and 1C) the very small Round Pond sub - watershed within the Waccabuc Watershed which is pumped easterly our of the Waccabuc basin for use as water supply in Ridgefield.

1A) The Titicus River has its source in central Ridgefield, then flows north westward along the north side of Route 116 out of Ridgefield into North Salem, N.Y. It then feeds into the Titicus Reservoir located in North Salem, then into the Croton Reservoir serving New York City.

This drainage occupies 5,130 acres in Ridgefield, more than one third of the total acreage of the Town.

The Titicus Reservoir in New York State is
recharged in part by waters from Ridgefield, CT

1B) The Waccabuc River tributaries in west central Ridgefield drain to the Cross River Reservoir in New York State. Like the Titicus River to its north, this part of the same Croton Reservoir system which provides drinking water to New York City. Like the Titicus River, the source of the Waccabuc River is in Ridgefield.

The Cross River Reservoir in New York State is
recharged in part by waters from Ridgefield, CT

1C) By a letter dated 3/10/03, the CT DEP approved water diversion permit #199902409 for the Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut that authorized the withdrawal of a maximum of 720,000 gallons of surface water per day from the Round Pond Reservoir. The permit also states that “the permittee shall not at any time drawdown the water surface elevation of Round Pond below elevation 771.6 above mean sea level.”

2) Coastal River Watersheds: The Coastal Rivers Watersheds in Ridgefield are oriented south toward Long Island Sound. They are, from east to west, 2A) the Saugatuck River and the 2B) Norwalk River main branch.

Continuing, 2C) the Comstock Brook Watershed subbranch of the Norwalk River Watershed, 2D) Silvermine River Watershed subbranch of the Norwalk River Watershed, and then 2E) the Mill River Watershed, with passes through a small part of New York State on its way to Stamford.

2A) The runoff from the approximately 2,610 acres of the Saugatuck River Watershed in northeastern Ridgefield first flows east into Danbury, then southeasterly into Redding before it contributes to the supply of the Saugatuck Reservoir in Redding and Easton.

2B) Of these five coastal basins, only the main branch of the Norwalk River Watershed is not in use nor planned for water supply purposes, although some historic discussion of that possibility is preserved. A map of the entire Norwalk River Watershed from the Norwalk River Watershed Initiative group is available.

2C) To the west the Comstock Brook Watershed tributary to the Norwalk River flows south-southeasterly into the Town of Wilton, draining about 640 acres of Ridgefield. Once in Wilton the water is diverted from a point immediately south of the confluence of Comstock Brook and the outlet from Pope's Pond further south to the South Norwalk Reservoir, which is also located in Wilton.

This water supply watershed comprises part of the holdings of the Second Norwalk Taxing District. These Second District watersheds as a group are also evaluated by a CT DPH assessment report.

2D) The headwater in the Silvermine River Watershed, also a tributary to the Norwalk River, flow to the south to the Brown's Reservoir and Scott's Reservoir, located in the Town of Lewisboro, NY. About 2,140 acres of land in Ridgefield are drained into these two reservoirs.

These facilities, in turn, feed into impoundments owned by the Norwalk First District Water Department. These First District watersheds as a group are evaluated by a CT DPH assessment report.

2E) The Mill River Watershed begins in Ridgefield, then flows south by southwest, draining about 1,250 acres of the Town, into the Mill Reservoir in adjacent Pound Ridge, New York.

The water then flows to the Laurel Reservoir on the Stamford-New Canaan Line, part of the holdings of the Aquarion Water Company and oriented towards Stamford. See also the CT DEP assessment report for this watershed.

3) Lake Kenosia Watershed: The discharge of the approximately 220 acres of Lake Kenosia Watershed at the northwestern tip of Ridgefield, primarily the west side of the Keeler Drive neighborhood northerly via the small Sawmill River, is oriented northeasterly toward Lake Kenosia, formed by an impoundment in the Still River in Danbury. Lake Kenosia became a supplemental public water supply source for that City in 1984.

Danbury's Lake Kenosia diversion is used as a flood skimming operation and therefore Lake storage is not utilized in the calculations of safe yield. The pump station has the capacity to divert up to 9 million gallons per day from Lake Kenosia to West Lake Reservoir, but only during the non-swimming season, and only when West Lake Reservoir does not fill from other water supply watersheds.

RIDGEFIELD, CT
POTENTIAL WATER MAIN
CONNECTIONS TO DANBURY
Water Main Connection to Danbury: As shown in this 2006 study, a potential interconnection with Danbury has been considered but does not appear likely.

AQUARION WATER COMPANY
SERVICE AREA IN RIDGEFIELD
Proceed to the report of the Aquarion Company concerning service to Ridgefield.

CT DEP CLASSIFICATION
OF STREAMS IN RIDGEFIELD
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 Ridgefield 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. Comstock Brook and tributaries reaching into Ridgefield from Wilton: AA/AA.

2. Hudson River (Croton) tributaries reaching into Ridgefield from New York State and including the Titicus River, Waccabuc River, Round Pond and their tributaries: AA/AA.

3. Kenosia Lake tributaries reaching into the northwest corner of Ridgefield from Danbury: AA/AA.

4. Mill River and tributaries reaching into Ridgefield from New York State: AA/AA.

5. Norwalk River flowing from east of the Ridgefield Sewer Treatment Plant near Downtown Ridgefield to Wilton Town Line: B/B.

6. Saugatuck Reservoir tributaries reaching into Ridgefield from Danbury and Redding: AA/AA.

7. Silvermine River and tributaries reaching into Ridgefield from Wilton and New York State: AA/AA.

8. All other streams in Ridgefield such as Cooper Pond Brook, etc: A/A.

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