A Connecticut water company has reached an agreement to nearly double the amount of water it diverts from the Fairfield area to southwestern towns.
Aquarion Water Company said the deal is part of a long-term plan to meet the water needs of lower Fairfield County as the threat of drought increases in the coming decades.
Hearst Connecticut Media reported that the agreement allows the water company to divert a maximum of 14.2 million gallons per day from its Greater Bridgeport System to the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and New Canaan. That is nearly double the amount it currently diverts to the region.
Aquarion in return will pay the U.S. Geological Survey to maintain a flow gauge on the Mill River in Fairfield. Environmentalists wanted assurance that there would be enough water in the river to support aquatic life and fish habitats.
An Aquarion spokesperson said it will take three years of water system improvements before the maximum amount flows.
