Even with this abundance, the increasing pressures from land use/development and changes in rainfall patterns and distribution are impacting both the quality and quantity of this precious resource.
This is good news for Greenwich and everyone interested in protecting drinking water supplies and finding a way to balance the use of our water resources.
The utilities are concerned with language in the plan that refers to water as a public trust resource.
In 1971, the General Assembly declared, “there is a public trust in the air, water and other natural resources of the state of Connecticut and that each person is entitled to the protection, preservation and enhancement of the same.
Taking the reference to water as public trust resource out of the Plan will not change state statute.
What it will do is begin the erosion of this public trust doctrine that protects one of our most important natural resources.
The State Water Plan recognizes this.
It also recognizes that this protection will only happen as a result of coordination between state and local government and our water utilities.
It is important for Greenwich and all of Connecticut to have a State Water Plan now.
The Plan should be adopted by the CT General Assembly, as presented by the Water Planning Council, with over whelming, bi-partisan support that includes water as a public trust resource.