Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Dam Safety Regulatory Program

The mission of the DEEP Dam Safety Regulatory Program is to ensure the safety of dams to protect life, property, and the environment by ensuring that all dams are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained safely and effectively.  Dam Safety Statutes & Regulations
The Dam Safety Statutes were last substantially revised by Public Act 2013-197, which authorized changes regarding Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and inspection requirements:
  • Dam owners in the State of Connecticut are now responsible for hiring a consultant to conduct regular dam inspections. 
  • The owners of high hazard (Class C) and significant hazard (Class B) dams must file an EAP every two years.
The Dam Safety regulations were most recently revised with an effective date of February 3, 2016. 
Requirements of the Dam Safety Regulatory Program:
Submissions to the Dam Safety Regulatory Program: 
Dam Safety permit applications should be submitted to the DEEP Central Permit Processing Unit. 
All other submissions must be sent to the DEEP Dam Safety Regulatory Program in electronic pdf format for our official records. These submissions should be sent via email to DEEP.DamSafety@ct.gov if possible.  If the file is greater than 20 MB, please review our Electronic File Transfer Fact Sheet.
 
Please note that we also continue to require that paper copies of EAPs be submitted for our use in the event of an emergency.  Staff Engineers may also request paper copies of site plans and inspection reports. When submitting paper copies of plans, please submit full-sized plans to assist our review!
 
The Dam Safety Regulatory Program also offers in-person file reviews. File review appointments are currently only being offered on Tuesdays. Please fill out the Dam Safety File Review Request Form and submit it to DEEP.DamSafety@ct.gov to request an appointment.
 
DEEP Dam Safety GIS Database:
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) maintains an inventory of the dams in the state of Connecticut. This application depicts the approximate location of dams in this inventory*. To access the application click on the image below:

*The data displayed in this application excludes the public water supply dams.  If information on one of these public water supply dams is needed, prior approval from the dam owner is required.  Pursuant to Section 25-32d(e) of the statutes, “records filed with any public agency by a water company are confidential and shall not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200.”  The statute that defines this restriction can be found here: Chapter 474 - Pollution (ct.gov).  To request water supply company contact information or to provide proof of approval, email DEEP.DamSafety@ct.gov.
 
DEEP Dam Safety Updates:
Join the DEEP Dam Safety Updates Newsletter to receive notification of program updates, web postings and other information regarding the Dam Safety Program. Once you click on the link, fill out the form and choose DEEP Dam Safety to keep up to date!
 
For additional information regarding the Dam Safety Program, please contact the Dam Safety Regulatory section by e-mail at DEEP.DamSafety@ct.gov or call us at 860-424-3706.

 

Content last updated July 2023