Drinking Water Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Plan Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London Counties November 2018 Prepared for: Connecticut Department of Public Health 410 Capitol Avenue P.O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134-0308 Drinking Water Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Plan Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London Counties November 2018 This publication was prepared by University of Connecticut researchers, the Connecticut Institute of Resilience and Climate Adaptation and Milone & MacBroom. The publication does not express the views of the Department of Public Health or the State of Connecticut. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. Funding for this project was provided by the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program, as administered by the Department of Housing and applied for by the Department of Public Health, State of Connecticut. Cover Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Public Health TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ......................................................................................... ES1-ES11 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Purpose of the Plan ..............................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Goals of the Plan ...................................................................................................................................................1 1.3 Risk and Resilience Concepts and Terminology........................................................................................2 1.4 Consistency with Other Planning Documents ...........................................................................................4 1.4.1 Consistency with Coordinated Water System Planning ..........................................................................4 1.4.2 Consistency with State Water Plan ..................................................................................................................5 1.4.3 Consistency with the State Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan .................................................................5 1.4.4 Consistency with the State Emergency Operations Plan ........................................................................5 2.0 Community Water System Vulnerability and Risk Assessment ......................7 2.1 Impacts of Recent Severe Storms and Events ............................................................................................7 2.1.1 Recent Severe Storms ...........................................................................................................................................7 2.1.2 Recent Droughts ...................................................................................................................................................13 2.2 Review of Laws, Practices, and Protocols ..................................................................................................16 2.2.1 Summary of Applicable Laws ...........................................................................................................................16 2.2.2 Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities, Resiliency, Planning, and Emergency Preparedness .. 20 2.2.3 State Government Emergency Preparedness and Response ............................................................. 22 2.2.4 Community Water System Emergency Preparedness and Response..............................................31 2.3 Review of Water System Emergency Planning Documents ................................................................32 2.3.1 Review of Vulnerability Assessments........................................................................................................... 32 2.3.2 Review of Emergency Contingency Plans .................................................................................................. 33 2.4 Vulnerabilities to the Quality and Quantity of Potable Water .......................................................... 34 2.4.1 General System Vulnerability .......................................................................................................................... 34 2.4.2 Survey of Community Water Systems ......................................................................................................... 37 2.4.3 Drinking Water Vulnerability Assessment Workshop ........................................................................... 38 2.4.4 Existing Flooding Risk to Community Water Systems ...........................................................................41 2.4.5 Potential Impact of Climate Change .............................................................................................................51 2.5 Assessment of Critical Assets of Small Community Water Systems .............................................. 60 2.6 Assessment of Critical Facilities Served by Community Water Systems ...................................... 62 2.7 Potential Infrastructure Upgrades to Encourage Regional Resiliency ............................................65 3.0 Private Well Vulnerability And Risk Assessment ........................................... 68 3.1 Private Well Vulnerability Assessment ....................................................................................................... 68 3.1.1 Private Well Identification Methodology ................................................................................................... 68 3.1.2 Flood Mapping Results ...................................................................................................................................... 70 3.2 Current State of Practice and Best Practices ............................................................................................76 3.3 Summary of Brackish Water Intrusion ...................................................................................................... 80 3.4 Resiliency Plan for Private Wells ....................................................................................................................81 3.4.1 General Methods of Adapting Private Wells .............................................................................................81 3.4.2 Specific Recommendations for Vulnerable Neighborhoods .............................................................. 84 3.4.3 Recommendations from Findings ................................................................................................................. 87 3.4.4 Recommendations for Private Well Program Materials ....................................................................... 88 4.0 Findings ...........................................................................................................................89 4.1 Lessons Learned from Past Events .............................................................................................................. 90 4.2 Flood Risk to Community Water System Infrastructure and Critical Facilities ........................... 90 4.3 Water Quality and Quantity Vulnerabilities ..............................................................................................91 4.4 Climate Change Impacts ..................................................................................................................................92 4.5 Community Water System Vulnerabilities and Emergency Preparedness....................................93 4.6 Drought Planning and Resilience ................................................................................................................ 94 4.7 Interconnections and Infrastructure Upgrades ...................................................................................... 94 4.8 Drinking Water Section Emergency Preparedness ................................................................................95 4.9 State and Local Laws Affecting Drinking Water ......................................................................................97 4.10 Private Well Vulnerabilities ..............................................................................................................................97 4.11 Summary of Findings ........................................................................................................................................ 98 5.0 Recommendations ........................................................................................................101 5.1 Recommendations to Increase Resiliency for Community Water Systems ............................... 101 5.1.1 Resiliency for Public Water Supply Sources ............................................................................................103 5.1.2 Resiliency for Community Water System Distribution Systems ......................................................103 5.1.3 Resiliency for Critical Facilities Served by Community Water Systems ........................................104 5.2 Long-Term Implementation Plan ...............................................................................................................104 5.2.1 Recommended Modifications to Current Law .......................................................................................104 5.2.2 Resources to Assist with Implementation................................................................................................105 5.3 Consistency with