Dead Fish Found In Simsbury Brook After Water Main Work

SIMSBURY, CT — Dead fish and crayfish were found in Hop Brook this week after a "limited amount" of chlorinated water may have entered the brook during work on a new Aquarion water main, according to a Town of Simsbury update released Friday.

Aquarion Water Co. said the incident occurred in connection with a water main replacement project near Cedar Hill Road in Simsbury.

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The company disinfected the new water main Monday, Aug. 10, at about 7 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, crews began a de-chlorination process before flushing the main until about 12:30 p.m., according to Aquarion.

Residents reported seeing dead fish and crayfish in Hop Brook the following morning, Aug. 13.

Aquarion's environmental management team reported the incident to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Oil & Chemical Emergency Response Unit and met with state officials at the site.

"Preliminary findings indicate that a limited amount of chlorinated water may have entered the brook," Aquarion said in a statement.

The company said the brook's natural water movement has since flushed out any remaining chlorine.

Following DEEP's review, no immediate action was required, according to Aquarion.

Aquarion said it will review its de-chlorination procedures to determine whether improvements can be made.

The company did not say in its Aug. 14 update how many fish or crayfish were found dead or whether the incident caused other environmental impacts.

Aquarion uses its Everbridge notification system to alert affected customers about scheduled and unscheduled work. Residents can sign up for the free alerts through Aquarion's website.

Questions about the water main project can be directed to Aquarion Project Manager Ed Moy at 203-585-7261 or emoy@aquarionwater.com. Customers with service or water-related concerns can contact Aquarion Customer Service at 1-800-732-9678.