Senator Chapin Questions Elimination of Safe Drinking Water Program [Republican American]

Article as it appeared in the Republican American on February 21, 2013

Malloy proposes elimination of safe drinking water program

By Paul Hughes

HARTFORD — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is proposing to pull the plug on a state program that provides safe drinking water to people whose wells become contaminated.

The program’s elimination saves $405,800 in the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s proposed budget. The recommendation is part of governor’s two-year, $43.4 billion budget plan.

The Malloy administration determined that the state government can no longer afford to pay this cost.

If the legislature accepts this recommendation, property owners will be responsible for obtaining drinking water at their own expense.

The Appropriations Committee reviewed the recommended DEEP budget on Wednesday.

Sen. Clark Chapin, R-New Milford, questioned DEEP Commissioner Daniel C. Esty about the elimination of the Potable Water Program.

“We, as you know, senator, are in a position where the state government cannot do all the things it used to do and one of the things we concluded we can’t afford to do is to provide water or water systems to folks who have a contamination issue,” Esty said. “So, we are proposing those people pay for their water supplies themselves.”

He estimated that program provides water to several hundred people annually.

The Potable Water Program was created in the early 1980s to ensure that safe drinking water is available to state residents whose well water is found to be polluted as a result of improper disposal, handling or storage of chemicals.

The state, through DEEP, provides a short-term supply of water if the party responsible for the pollution cannot be identified. This includes bottled water or treatment systems.

The program also arranges for the preparation of an engineering report that provides recommendations and alternatives for the long-term provision of potable water

The state will not provide potable water if homeowners are responsible for causing the pollution through their actions, such as a failing septic system, the misapplication of septic system additives, leaking fuel oil tanks, lead pipes or plumbing fixtures, or the over-application of household chemicals.

The program’s elimination will save $200,000 in the first year of the upcoming two-year budget cycle and $205,800 in the second year, according to the administration

Malloy is proposing to reduce the DEEP budget from $160.8 million to $151.4 million next year. This represents a reduction of nearly 6 percent. The agency budget increases to $153.7 million the following year.