Shenipsit Lake Reservoir Unaffected By Storms, Drought Declaration

TOLLAND, CT — The massive Shenipsit Lake reservoir that services a good chunk of north central and eastern Connecticut was barely affected by storms that dumped torrential rain on the region early this week and a drought declaration on Thursday, Connecticut Water Company officials said.

Utility officials said water levels at the 5-billion-gallon "Snip" were classified Friday as slightly below "normal" for this time of year. Connecticut Water measured about 1.5 inches of rain at the reservoir on Tuesday after the storms, but it "didn’t move the needle much because the dry ground soaked most of it up."

At the end of June, the Snip was at 82 percent of capacity.

On Thursday, Gov. Ned Lamont approved a recommendation by the Connecticut Interagency Drought Working Group to declare that all eight state counties are experiencing State 2 drought conditions due to below normal precipitation coupled with the recent warmer temperatures.

As a result, state officials have been encouraging all residents to voluntarily take measures to conserve water like:

• Repair leaky faucets and toilets
• Consider replacing old equipment (like toilets, dishwashers and laundry machines)
• When cooking, peel and clean vegetables in a large bowl of water instead of under running water
• Fill sinks or basins when washing and rinsing dishes
• Only run the dishwasher or laundry machines when they're full
• Only use the garbage disposal when necessary (composting is a great alternative)
• Take short showers instead of baths
• Turn off the water to brush teeth, shave and soap up in the shower. Fill the sink to shave.
• Only water lawns when necessary and keep your grass longer to improve moisture retention

Shenipsit Lake, the primary reservoir in the region, sits in parts of Tolland, Vernon and Ellington. The potable water operation is overseen by Connecticut Water.