In September 2004, the Highway Study Group first met to review and set goals for addressing issues involving the highway facility.  The issues to be addressed included the condition of the salt shed and the high sodium content in the well.  The Study Group decided to define the nature and extent of the salt contamination and any other on-site environmental issues, including the testing of the surrounding property owners’ wells. 

A Request for Proposal was issued by the Town for assistance with the environmental study and related compliance issues and interviews of prospective consultants were arranged.  By August 2005, the contract was awarded to CME Associates.  In November 2005, CME conducted a water survey of the Highway Facility neighborhood and subsequently tested the well water of the neighbors whom CME determined were within the potential sphere of influence.  This was followed, in January 2006, by letters to the homeowners and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), reporting on the results. 

The testing showed acceptable ranges for all of the wells except the deep wells at the Bennett farm.  The Bennett house well was found to have approximately the same amount of salt as the Highway facility’s well.  The Bennetts were contacted immediately and told not to drink the water.  The Town immediately began providing the Bennetts with bottled water for and reimbursed them for potable water that they received prior to the testing.  The Town also consulted with a veterinarian expert in water quality for dairy cattle and had ongoing consultations with animal nutritionists to ensure that the cows’ diet was not adversely affected. 

With the short term solution resolved the Town turned its attention to a potential long term solution.  Over the next several months, further testing was required to determine the extent of the underground salt plume.   Other solutions were investigated, including reverse osmosis, which the consultants determined was not practical.  After extensive investigation, and consultation with the DEP, CME recommended that a new water supply well be provided to the Bennetts.   The consultants determined that the best plan would be to use the shallow wells for the cows, avoiding the deep well at the barn, and continue to provide the family with bottled drinking water until the new well could be dug. 

During 2006, CME continued to monitor the wells.  Based on the test results and discussion with the Bennett family, a suitable drilling location was selected for the new well.  Before any work could be performed on the Bennett's property, the Bennetts had to provide the Town with the right to access their property for the purpose of drilling the new well.  In late 2006, the Town’s attorneys prepared and provided Mr. Bennett with a proposed  Access Agreement for their approval and signature.   The proposed  Access Agreement provided the Town's employees and contractors with access to the Bennett's property and made the town solely responsible for the costs and liabilities associated with the drilling of the new well.  At the time, the  Town hoped to begin the construction project in January 2007 as the frozen ground was expected to support the drilling equipment and there was little snow.  Eventually, in May 2007, Mr. Bennett signed and returned the Access Agreement to the Town's attorney. 

Next, the Town began preparation of the area for drilling.  This very steep area had to be cleared of trees and made accessible for heavy equipment.  There were some delays because of a very rainy and muddy Spring, making the ground soft and impossible to access.  There were also many issues to work out including where to site the trench, fencing to keep the cows away from the trenching, approval from the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency, and the configuration of the power source for the well.  Our Highway crew constructed and installed a gravel ramp and drill pad, and an asphalt berm at the entrance to the ramp.

On July 27, 2007 the drilling began.  The yield of water was low in the beginning.  Finally, on August 1, at 922 feet, the drilling could stop.  Water was gushing out at close to 100 gallons per minute.  The sustained yield is over 50 gallons per minute.  The water tested fine; there was no salt contamination.

To keep costs at a minimum, the Town Highway crew dug the trench and laid the pipe and electrical conduit.  They also put a gate across the entrance to the new well.  They did an excellent job making the connections that were necessary from the well, located high on Coatney Hill down to the farm. 

As the new well was constructed, the weather stayed dry, causing the uncontaminated shallow wells at the barn to go dry, and depriving the cows of the necessary water.  As a short term solution, the Volunteer Fire Department brought water from Putnam’s municipal water supply to the Bennett farm cistern.  As the drought persisted, the Town arranged for a pool supply company to provide tankers of water as needed to the farm. 

After the well was fully hooked up with electricity, all of the pipes were flushed with chlorinated water.  This chlorinated water, along with the water supplied from Putnam, had to be completely flushed from the system to get an accurate testing of the water coming from the new well to the house and the barn.

Finally, by mid-October 2007, the Bennetts have clean water for themselves and their cows, uncontaminated by salt.  It was a very big job but it was done very well. 

Margaret Wholean, First Selectman