DPH Declares Public Water Supply Emergency for 4 Fairfield County Towns

The Department of Public Health commissioner declared a public water supply emergency for four Fairfield towns as drought conditions persist.

Dr. Raul Pino, DPH commissioner, signed the order on Thursday, declaring a temporary 30-day public water supply emergency for Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and New Canaan.

The declaration was requested by Aquarion Water Company (AWC) to allow the company to divert water from other sources of supply to the four Connecticut towns, which are facing "substantial depletion of their public water supply as a result of ongoing drought conditions," the announcement said. 

"This is not a step that the Department of Public Health takes lightly or frequently, but it is clear that despite water conservation efforts taken by Aquarion and its customers, diversion of water from other areas in Aquarion’s water supply in addition to continued mandatory water conservation measures is necessary to avert a much larger water crisis in these towns," said Pino.

Pino is encouraging all Connecticut residents to conserve water during this prolonged period of dry weather. 

During the order, AWC will be prohibited from adding new customers without DPH approval, continue mandatory outdoor watering bans, provide weekly public notifications on water supplies for affected towns, perform a water audit of its top 20 largest water users, assist users identifying ways to reduce usage and provide weekly reports to the DPH and local health departments.

The order will remain in effect for 30 days, but AWC can apply for additional 30 day extensions, up to a maximum of 150 days.

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