Connecticut Water Service : Urges Voluntary Water Conservation

Prolonged dry weather and drought conditions prompt conservation request

Clinton, Connecticut, October 17, 2016 - Persistent dry weather and continued drought conditions have prompted Connecticut Water Company to ask its customers across the state to step-up their voluntarily measures to conserve water. In July the company requested that all customers voluntarily reduce their water usage by 10% to extend the availability of existing supplies and to support the rivers and streams in the state.

Connecticut Water has continued to closely monitor its water supplies. While supplies in our reservoirs are lower than normal, we also have groundwater sources in nearly all of our water systems that provide operational flexibility so we are not solely dependent on our reservoirs for water supply.

The company continues to encourage all customers to reduce their water usage by 10% and is now asking customers in the shoreline communities of Guilford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook and Old Saybrook to reduce their water usage by 15 %.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 85% of Connecticut is considered to be in severe drought. Given the extended dry weather conditions and the outlook for below normal precipitation according to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, the Company decided it was important to ask our shoreline customers to increase their conservation efforts.

David A. Connors, Director of Service Delivery, states, 'We currently have an adequate supply of water for our customers' needs but we are taking these steps to ensure we will continue to have enough water for those needs should the drought continue. That's why we are asking all of our customers to continue to conserve water, and our customers in those shoreline communities, where we have had high summer demands and felt the drought's effects the most, to reduce their consumption by 15%. Should normal precipitation not materialize, this will position us to have sufficient water to meet the needs of our customers and put less stress on local water resources.'

Connecticut Water's customers have already demonstrated that water usage can be reduced in the home when customers are committed to conservation. The 5,000 participants in our Water Drop Challenge (WDC) saved nearly 9 million gallons of water in the first half of 2016, a time of the year when outdoor watering is minimal compared to the peak summer months of July and August. The 9 million gallons of water saved is enough to fill 1,500 water tankers that if parked end-to-end would stretch more than 14 miles.

The WDC is a voluntary water conservation program launched in 2016, before the drought, that encourages customers to reduce their 2016 water usage compared to 2015. Mr. Connors added, 'The Water Drop Challenge has shown that when people are committed to lowering their water usage and are provided with information on conservation practices they can make a real impact around their homes.'

A typical Connecticut Water residential household uses about 165 gallons of water per day. Assuming there are 3 people living in the household, a 10 to 15% household reduction would be to 6 to 8 gallons per person per day. These savings cumulatively make a big difference and can be achieved by eliminating non-essential water use. Here are some specific things customers can do:

• Stop watering lawns
• Shut-off automatic irrigation systems
• Sweep patios, driveways and sidewalks rather than using a hose on paved surfaces.
• Turn off the water when brushing teeth or shaving
• Take showers instead of baths
• Fix leaks, a faucet that drips can waste up to 3,280 gallons of water per year
• Check for silent toilet leaks which can waste large quantities of water (Here's how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-npGaTDqHA)

• Connecticut Water will continue to monitor water demands and will modify its request for water conservation measures accordingly. Additional suggestions on how to save water are available by visiting www.CTWater.com/conservation. Customers without internet access can call 1-800-286-5700.

  Contact:
  Daniel J. Meaney
  Director of Corporate Communications
  860.664.6016
  dmeaney@ctwater.com

  The website of the U.S. Drought Monitor is: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/RegionalDroughtMonitor.aspx?northeast

  The website of the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook is:
  http://go.usa.gov/3eZ73

  About Connecticut Water:
  Connecticut Water Company serves 92,000 customers in 56 towns in Connecticut. The towns served include: Ashford, Avon, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Bolton, Brooklyn, Burlington, Canton, Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Deep River, Durham, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hampton, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Essex, Farmington, Griswold, Guilford, Hebron, Killingly, Killingworth, Lebanon, Madison, Manchester, Mansfield, Marlborough, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Plainfield, Plymouth, Portland, Prospect, Somers, South Windsor, Stafford, Stonington, Suffield, Thomaston, Thompson, Tolland, Vernon, Voluntown, Waterbury, Westbrook, Willington, Windsor Locks and Woodstock.

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