1. Notice of Scoping for Norwalk First Taxing District - Grupes Dam Rehabilitation (REVISED)
Addresses of possible locations: On Silvermine River, off Valley Road and Deep Valley Road in New Canaan
Municipalities where proposed action might be located: Norwalk/New Canaan
Project Description:
Grupes Reservoir Dam impoundment serves as drinking supply water for the First Taxing District Water Department of Norwalk, Connecticut. Grupes Reservoir is the fourth of four reservoirs operated by the District along Silvermine River. Grupes Reservoir Dam was originally constructed in 1871 to impound the Grupes Reservoir as a drinking water supply for the City of Norwalk. Grupes Reservoir Dam is classified by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP) dam safety regulations (RCSA 22a‐409) as a Class C, or "high hazard" dam, meaning that if the dam were to fail, it could result in probable loss of life, major damage to habitable structures and residences, damage to critical utilities and infrastructure, and great economic loss. As a Class C dam, a safety inspection of Grupes Reservoir Dam is performed by a Dam Safety Engineering consultant every 2 years. The information obtained from the inspections and studies generates recommendations for both short‐term and long‐term work necessary to maintain public safety and structural integrity as well as increase operational efficiency and District employee safety.
Potential work includes, but is not limited to:
- Raise the top of dam by 4 feet to elevation 306.0 with a cast‐in‐place concrete cap, and re‐grade at dam abutments to mitigate overtopping during the spillway design flood (spillway to remain at current elevation);
- Construct earthen embankment along east side of Grupes Reservoir and re‐grade existing high ground and access road to mitigate overtopping/flooding during the spillway design flood (spillway to remain at current elevation);
- Construct parapet / retaining walls along east side of Grupes Reservoir to mitigate overtopping/flooding during the spillway design flood;
Project Map: Click here to view a map of the project area.
Scoping Notice: On July 5, 2022, the Department of Public Health published a Scoping Notice in the Environmental Monitor. A public scoping meeting was not initially anticipated. Subsequently, a public scoping meeting has been scheduled.
There will be a public scoping meeting for this proposed action:
DATE: September 19, 2022
TIME: 1:00
PLACE: Virtual via Microsoft Teams
NOTES: The meeting will be open to the public and is available by clicking on this link: Click here to join the meeting
Comments on the scoping for the proposed project/action can be submitted in writing until the close of business on: September 26, 2022.
Written comments should be sent to:
Name: Mr. Eric McPhee
Agency: Department of Public Health – Drinking Water Section
Address: 410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS, PO Box 340308, Hartford,
CT 06134-0308
E-Mail: Dph.sourceprotection@ct.gov
If you have questions about the public meeting or other questions about the scoping for this project, contact:
Name: Mr. Eric McPhee
Agency: Department of Public Health – Drinking Water Section
Address: 410 Capitol Avenue, MS #12DWS, PO Box 340308, Hartford,
CT 06134-0308
E-Mail: eric.mcphee@ct.gov
Phone: 860-509-7333
Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring State Agency:
Name: Mr. John Tyler Castellanete
Agency: Department of Public Health, Hearing Office
Address: 410 Capitol Avenue, MS #13PHO
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
E-Mail: DPH.foi@ct.gov
Phone: 860-566-5682
What Happens Next: The sponsoring agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.