Connecticut State Department of Public Health

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Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

Development of a New Water Company

If you are developing property that will have an on-site water system, you may be creating a water company. Water companies include various types of facilities served by a common source(s) of supply (i.e. well). These include, but are not limited to: 

  • residential communities,
  • professional offices,
  • various businesses,
  • schools,
  • day care facilities,
  • youth camps,
  • food service establishments
  • campgrounds

    • In order to determine if the proposed project may result in the creation of a new water company, a "Public Water System Screening Form" form must be completed and submitted to this office. The information provided by completing the form will be used by the Drinking Water Section (DWS) to evaluate the proposed project and determine whether or not a new water company will be created. 

    Submission of this application form is a prerequisite to the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) Phase I-A application.  If DWS determines that a new Water Company will be created, refer to the information below for the requirements for development of a new Public Water System.

    Development of a New Public Water System 

    If you are planning a development with an on-site water system having 15 or more service connections or serving 25 or more people, you must obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the proposed Public Water System (PWS) before any construction of the system can begin. 

    The CPCN process reviews the design of the proposed PWS from development of the water sources to the piping system that will bring the water to the consumer. One purpose of the "Certificate process" is to ensure that all new public water systems are built to particular specifications and have adequate Technical, Managerial, and Financial capacity to maintain compliance with regulations after the system is put into operation.

    The Department of Public Health (DPH) administers the CPCN process. The entire CPCN application is separated into three phases: 

    • Phase I-A (site location for source of supply),  
    • Phase I-B (development of the source of supply),
    • Phase II (water distribution, storage, treatment). 

    To make the submittal of information easier, application forms have been developed. The forms are separated into two categories - Community PWS or Non-Community PWS. Each category has a unique form for each phase. 

    Please note effective October 1, 2016, Public Act No. 16-197 (AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE EXPANSION AND CONSTRUCTION OF WATER SYSTEMS) changed the CPCN process to exclude PURA from the majority of the review.

    Community Public Water System

    Non-Community Public Water System