Water Resources of the Waterbury-Bristol Area Connecticut
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U. 5. btULUGlUftL RESOURCES DIVISION Water Resources of the Waterbury-Bristol Area Connecticut GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1499-J Prepared in cooperation with the Connecticut Water Resources Commission and the New Britain Board of Water Commissioners Water Resources of the Waterbury-Bristol Area Connecticut .By R. V. CUSHMAN, F. H. PAUSZEK, A. D. RANDALL and M. P. THOMAS Revised by H. L. BALDWIN VATER RESOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL AREAS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1499-J Prepared in cooperation with the Connecticut Water Resources Commission and the New Britain Board of Water Commissioners UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1965 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Abstract. ________________________________________________________ Jl Acknowledgments___ _ ___________________________________________ 1 Purpose and scope of this report.___________________________________ 2 Description Of the area.____________________________________________ 2 Location _______________________________________:_____________ 2 Development of industry.______________________________________ 4 Sources of water._____________________________________________ 5 Significance of water quality__-__________-_--_-__----_-_-__-_-_- 7 Public water supply and use________________________________________ 11 Waterbury subarea-__________-_-____-__-___--__-_-__----__-_-_ 11 Bristol subarea.____________________________________________ 17 Rural subarea____.____--_-_-_--__-______-__--_-_-__----_--___ 22 Emergency water supplies__________________________________________ 23 A look at the future.__--___-__--____-__--_____-_-__-_--__-_-_--_-- 28 Inventory of water resources.______________________________________ 33 Records available__-_-___-___---_______-____-__-____-_-__--__- 34 Waterbury subarea.___________________________________________ 34 Naugatuck River__________-________________________-_____ 34 Leadmine Brook__________________________________________ 48 Sand and gravel aquifers.__________________________________ 53 Other sources of ground water.___________--_____-___-_---_- 60 Bristolsubarea_ ____ _ ________________________________________ 60 Pequabuck River__________________________________________ 60 Burlington Brook_________________________________________ 64 Sand and gravel aquifers-_-__-_-____-___-______-_-_____--__ 66 Sedimentary bedrock of Triassic age._______-__-_-____-__-__- 72 Other sources of ground water._____________________________ 76 Rural subarea._-_______-____-_________-__-____-_.__--_____--_ 76 Sand and gravel aquifers. __________________________________ 76 Ground moraine._________________________________________ 77 Crystalline bedrock.__-___________-_______-_-__----_----__- 78 References. -__-_________-__--_-_--______-____----___--__-__-_---_ 82 Index ____________________________________________________________ 85 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE 1. Map of the Waterbury-Bristol area showing drainage basins, areal distribution of sand and gravel aquifers, contour of the bedrock surface, and location of wells and geologic sections--___-_--_-_--______-____--______-__--__-_In pocket FIGURE 1. Map showing location and extent of the Waterbury-Bristol Page area, major drainage basins, stream-gaging stations, and water-sampling sites._________________________________ J3 2. Water table and aquifer,._______________________________ 6 3. Flow chart of water-supply system, city of Waterbury ______ 11 IV CONTENTS Page FIGURE 4. Quantity of water distributed by Waterbury Water Depart ment, 1949-59____-__-------------------------------- J13 5. Percentage of average monthly demand for water supplied by Water Department of city of Waterbury, 1950-59------ 14 6. Use of water in the Waterbury subarea, 1959-------------- 16 7. Raw-water storage, Bristol water system__________________ 18 8. Use of water in the Bristol subarea, 1959._________________ 19 9. Source and use of water by industry in the Bristol subarea, 1959____-____ __-__ -_ _-- -- - ------ 19 10. Source and use of water distributed by public water systems in the Bristol subarea, 1959-___---_------------------ 20 11. Quantity of water distributed by public water systems in the Bristol subarea, 1949-59------------------------------ 21 12. Hydrograph of water levels in well Wb 176, 1944-59------ 31 13. Duration of records at gaging stations in the Waterbury- Bristol area and vicinity.________________--_-_--__---_ 34 14. Duration curve of daily flows, Naugatuck River below Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1931-59.----------- 37 15. Magnitude and frequency of annual low flows, Naugatuck River below Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1931-58-. 38 16. Maximum period of deficient discharge, Naugatuck River below Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1931-58-_-_-_ 39 17. Storage required to maintain flows, Naugatuck River below Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1931-59._____________ 39 18. Duration curve of daily flows, Naugatuck River at Beacon Falls, 1929-59 _-_-_---_---------------_------------ 40 19. Magnitude and frequency of annual low flows, Naugatuck River at Beacon Falls, 1929-58_---------------__---- 41 20. Maximum period of deficient discharge, Naugatuck River at Beacon Falls, 1929-58___-----_-----_--------------- 41 21. Storage required to maintain flows, Naugatuck River at Beacon Falls, 1929-59_____.___._.__.._._._____---_ 42 22. Magnitude and frequency of floods, Naugatuck River below Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1929-59._____________ 42 23. Magnitude and frequency of floods, Naugatuck River at Beacon Falls, 1928-59-------------------------------- 43 24. Specific conductance and daily mean discharge, Naugatuck River near Thomaston, 1957-58______________________ 45 25. Daily iron concentrations in Naugatuck River near Thomas- ton, 1958 water year____- ---_---__-------_----------- 46 26. Monthly average hardness as CaCOs in Naugatuck River near Thomaston, 1957-58-------_----_--------------------- 47 27. Frequency distribution of water temperatures, Naugatuck River near Thomaston, 1957-58-.-_____________________ 48 28. Duration curve of daily flows, Leadmine Brook near Thomas- ton, 1931-59--_--_--_----_-_----_----_---_---_---___- 49 29. Magnitude and frequency of annual low flows, Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1931-58_____--__-____-__---_-_ 50 30. Maximum period of deficient discharge, Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1931-58__--_--_.---------________---___ 51 31. Storage required to maintain flows, Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1931-59--_-_---_--________---__-.-_-_-_ 52 CONTENTS V Page FIGURE 32. Magnitude and frequency of floods, Leadmine Brook near Thomaston, 1931-59__-___-____________.________---_ J52 33. Duration curve of daily flows, Pequabuck River at Forestville, 1942-59____.-__._-___.____.__-__.-__.-__..__________ 61 34. Magnitude and frequency of annual low flows, Pequabuck River at Forestville, 1942-58-_____________________ 62 35. Maximum period of deficient discharge, Pequabuck River at Forestville, 1942-58---.-- _:___.___________________ 62 36. Storage required to maintain flows, Pequabuck River at Forestville, 1942-59_____-___.___.___._________________ 63 37. Magnitude and frequency of floods, Pequabuck River at Forestville, 1936-59_________________________________ 64 38. Duration curve of daily flows, Burlington Brook near Burling ton, 1932-59___________________._________________ 66 39. Magnitude and frequency of annual low flows, Burlington Brook near Burlington, 1932-58________________-___-__- 67 40. Maximum period of deficient discharge, Burlington Brook near Burlington, 1932-58-__----_--_-----_----_-------- 67 41. Storage required to maintain flows, Burlington Brook near Burlington, 1932-59__-____-___-__-___-_______________- 68 42. Magnitude and frequency of floods, Burlington Brook near Burlington, 1932-59__ ________________________________ 69 43. Variation in hardness of water from sand and gravel deposits in the Bristol subarea.________________________________ 73 44. Cumulative frequency curves of yield of wells finished in crystalline bedrock in the Waterbury-Bristol area_________ 80 45. Depths of wells finished in crystalline bedrock in the Water bury-Bristol area.____________________________________ 81 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Suggested water-quality tolerances.__________---__-_--_---_ J8 2. Classification of surface waters according to suitability of use __ 10 3. Public water-supply systems..___________________-_.._--_--- 12 4. Chemical analyses of water from public water-supply systems in the Waterbury-Bristol area__-_______________--__----_- 15 5. Average use of water in the Waterbury subarea, 1959_________ 15 6. Average use of water in the Bristol subarea, 1959_____________ 22 7. Records of wells selected as possible emergency supplies and other wells referred to in the text__________-____--__--____ 24 8. Summary of streamflow data, Waterbury-Bristol area_________ 35 9. Summary of chemical data, Naugatuck River near Thomaston, October 1957 to September 1958-_---------------_------- 44 10. Chemical analyses of water from wells in the Waterbury subarea. 59 11. Sulfate concentrations in water from well Wb lOa____________ 59 12. Chemical analyses of water from Pequabuck River at Forestville- 65 13. Analyses of water from sand and gravel and crystalline rock in the Bristol subarea.______-___-_________-___-_---_---_-- 73 14. Summary of records of domestic and farm wells finished in Triassic