Town, Connecticut Water Approve Structure of Water Advisory Committee

A news release issued Wednesday by Connecticut Water:

The Town of Mansfield and Connecticut Water have formalized the structure of a new Water Advisory Committee that is being created as part of an agreement executed earlier this year for Connecticut Water to become the Town’s water supplier.

Last January, Mansfield and Connecticut Water executed an agreement that provides for Connecticut Water to become the water supplier to the off campus customers currently served by the University of Connecticut water system.   The Company and town leaders have been working to develop the details for the membership and operation of the Committee.

“I am pleased we have been able to create the framework of the Water Advisory Committee as provided in the water supply agreement,” stated Eric W. Thornburg, President and CEO of Connecticut Water. Mr. Thornburg further stated, “We look forward to building on the approved framework to create an open and transparent process for the community and Connecticut Water to discuss the region’s water issues.”

Matthew W. Hart, Mansfield’s Town Manager, stated, “The creation of the advisory committee is an important policy goal for our Town Council, and I am pleased to be at this stage in the process.  The Town and Connecticut Water are building a productive working relationship, and I think the members of the advisory committee will prove an asset to the company and the region.”

The Water Advisory Committee will be comprised of representatives of the Town, UConn, and nearby communities and other stakeholders to provide local input on water supply operations, conservation programs, and service expansion proposals. The Committee will review and advise on any requests for water service in Mansfield that require a change in zoning, approval by a local land use commission, or involve a water system extension.  The Committee will also make recommendations about best management practices, including water conservation programs, and Connecticut Water will work with the Advisory Committee to implement such programs. 

Over the next several weeks, representatives of Connecticut Water and Mansfield will be reaching out to potential members to discuss their participation on the Committee. The intention is to hold the first meeting by mid-July.

In other developments, Connecticut Water and UConn filed a Diversion Permit Application with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for the UConn/Mansfield water project. The Diversion Permit was filed on April 29, and is required from DEEP in order to supply the UConn/Mansfield area with water from Connecticut Water’s nearby system in Tolland and the Lake Shenipsit Reservoir.