Construction work being done at the corner of Glen Road and Buck Hill Road. (Photo credit: Macklin Reid)
Trucks, digging and piles of pipes — some with fire hydrants attached — tell of a utility project that will connect some Ridgefield Lakes neighborhoods with the Aquarion Water Company’s pipeline system.
“What we’re doing is extending the main,” said Bruce Silverstone, Aquarion’s vice president of corporate communications.
The project’s goal is to improve water service, but it will also bring fire hydrants to some areas.
The project is designed to reach three neighborhoods in the Ridgefield Lakes that are served by small water systems with community wells, which were acquired by Aquarion a few years back.
The water systems and neighborhoods the project is expected to eventually serve include:
•The Ridgefield Lakes 9 water system in the Rita Road and Greenridge Drive area;
•The Ridgefield Lakes 11 system in the area around Limestone Road and Limestone Terrace; and
•The Ridgefield Lakes “main system” in the Bennett’s Farm Road area and the vicinity of Fox Hill Lake to Wataba Lake.
“System 9 and System 11 and the Main System will all interconnect with the Ridgefield system, which will allow for a more reliable water supply, and it will also allow us to remove the temporary nitrate treatment truck,” Mr. Silverstone said.
“The water service would be provided by the Ridgefield systems, which are served by wells and an interconnection with our Bridgeport system.”
Although the main object is to improve service to customers already buying water from Aquarion, there is potential for new hook-ups to homes along the route that are now served by their own wells.
“People who are now on wells and would like to become Aquarion customers may call our customer service department at 302-445-7300 to determine the feasibility and what needs to be done,” Mr. Silverstone said.
First Selectman Rudy Marconi said that homes along the water lines’ route that have good wells don’t have to hook up. They can continue to pump their own water — unless their well fails.
“They can’t make you connect,” Mr. Marconi said. “But if your well goes dry, and you’re within 200 feet of a water main, you must connect to the public water supply system.”
Aquarion customers in Ridgefield pay in the neighborhood of $600 a year for water, with bills varying depending on use.
The motivation for the project is a nitrate problem in the water, which is currently being handled by water treatment.
“We’re closing down 9 and 11, the wells, because they have nitrates in them — we’re treating those now,” Mr. Silverstone said.
A new water line is being built along Buck Hill Road. It will eventually connect the Lakes neighborhoods with the water main extension Aquarion sent out Route 35 some years back, to serve the senior citizens’ facilities and other commercial development around the Route 7 and 35 area. That water main connects the 7 and 35 area with the old village water system that was operated for many years by the Ridgefield Water Supply Company.
The village system was connected with Aquarion’s principal system by a line that was run from the town center to Branchville years ago, after Aquarion acquired the Ridgefield Water Supply Company.
Mr. Marconi regarded the private utility project as progress.
“The improvements that are being made are improvements that have been discussed for the last 30 years,” he said.
“The connection to the water main on Route 35, across Buck Hill and bringing water into the Lakes region, will certainly improve not only the quality of the water, but also allow the installation of fire hydrants for fire suppression.”
Mr. Marconi said the town hadn’t been informed of the project ahead of time. But the painting of lines in the roads — a preliminary step before excavation — was noticed, and reported.
Fire Chief Kevin Tappe then pursued the matter with Aquarion.
“They have subsequently apologized for not making us aware of these upgrades taking place,” Mr. Marconi said.
“Specifically, the chief was concerned about the location of fire hydrants in that area.”
When the work is done and the water lines are working, people with homes in the area may be able to get better fire insurance rates.
“People should inquire with their insurance companies, on the basis that hydrants are now in that neighborhood, and may in fact help lower the insurance premiums,” Mr. Marconi said.
“And I stress may — they may not — but it’s worth a call.”