We oppose a solution to UConn's water supply needs that would further divert water from the Farmington River watershed reservoirs in the absence of comprehensive and environmentally sound state-wide water planning and improved flow management policies. Additionally, we ask that University leadership strongly consider alternative sites for the Technology Park other than the Storrs campus.
Why is this important?
A new pipeline to bring water halfway across the state of Connecticut to UConn would threaten the future ecological health of the Farmington River and the water needs of the communities within the watershed. This cross-basin transfer of water - with the potential for far greater withdrawals in the future - is a poor precedent to set in an increasingly uncertain water future and especially in the absence of regional and state-wide water planning. Already, periods of prolonged drought have led to inadequate flows below the reservoir system which have placed significant stress on the trout and aquatic life in the river and pose further economic hardships on the riverside communities which rely on the angling and recreational tourism the river provides.
