Publications

The leading causes of public well contamination in Connecticut are
unintentional leaks and spills of cleaning solvents and fuel oils. The
cost of treating contaminated groundwater is a significant expense, as
is the extension of water supply mains to provide potable water in areas
of private well contamination. Consequently, the Connecticut Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) has developed several initiatives to
protect drinking water supplies. Among these are enforcement of
regulations for underground storage tanks, the implementation of
regulations concerning contaminated properties, preparation of hazardous
material spill prevention plans, and efforts to reduce the amount of
methyl tertiary- butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline.

Additionally, the DEP, as part of its continuing effort to protect the
state’s drinking water resources, has released proposed aquifer
protection land use regulations designed to protect the geologic
formations where ground water can be withdrawn in usable quantities.

The proposed regulations are intended to protect drinking water supplies
through the regulation of activities on the land above the aquifer that
could contaminate public water supply aquifers. Regulation of the use of
the land in this fashion is in addition to applicable zoning regulations
and may create a situation where a particular use is permitted in one
zone but not permitted in a similarly classified zone, in a different
part of town because of the application of the DEPs regulations to the
type of aquifer beneath that portion of the zone.

Within ninety days of being notified by the DEP of the existence of
aquifer protection areas, each municipality must designate aquifer
protection areas on municipal zoning maps. The municipality must also
adopt regulations similar to the proposed DEP regulations for local
implementation.

The critical element of the proposed regulations is the prohibition of
certain activities in an aquifer protection area unless the activity is
registered with and permitted by the DEP as an existing use. The
registration must include, among other things, a description of all raw
materials, wastes, fuels, and chemicals transferred, treated, stored,
utilized, generated or otherwise handled at the facility as well as a
description of the waste management practices at the facility. New
regulated activities that use or generate hazardous substances,
hazardous wastes, bulk pesticides or petroleum products would be
prohibited in an aquifer protection area, notwithstanding current
existing zoning regulations that would otherwise allow a particular use.
Included in the proposed list of new activities that would be prohibited
by the proposed regulations are car washes, gasoline stations, vehicle
repair shops, chemical manufacturing industries and dry cleaners.