Ground Water in the Norwalk, Suffield, and Glastonbury Areas, Connecticut

Twentj/'-six of the v^'ells vrere said to be unfailing, and eig^iit were said to fail. The reliability of the remaining nine wells was not as- certained. Stratified, drift. — Along Norwalk Eiver and Fivemile River and in other valley bottoms till is absent and stratified drift eonstitutes the mantle rock. This drift is a water-laid deposit formed for the most part by the rev/orking of the materials of the till. The dif- ferent sizes have been sorted from one aBO-ther and laid in dis- tinct beds and lenses. Because of the elin-iination to a great extent of fine particles from the spaces between the larger ones, this type of deposit is more porous than till. It not only can contain more water, but because of the greater size of the passages it will transmit water more readily. This greater porosity makes it a better source of water than till, except where the body of stratified drift is in a bad topographic situation from which the water may readily seep awa}^ The wells of the Tokeneke Water Co. and two domestic wells (Nos. 28 and 2&) in Barien are dug in stratified drift. One spring, No. %'% (see map, PL II), is at the foot of a terrace scarp and at the inner edge of the flood plain of Fivemile Eive^. This spring was yielding about a gallon a minute in September and had a tempera- ture of 51° F. QUALITY OF GROU^TD WATER. The accompanying table gives the results of two analyses and two assays of samples of ground waters collected in the tov»'n of Darien, The waters are low in mineral content, are very soft, and are suit- able for boiler use. In so far as may be determined by chemical investigation of the mineral content of these waters they are accept- able for domestic use. No. 16 and the composite sample, No. 71 and 7lA, are calcium-carbonate in type. Nos. 49 and 51 are sodium- carbonate waters. DAIilE^s. 71 i'hciitic'.il cam iM'^ it ion and clds.si/irdii-in of iiroinul iratt.rs in J)(iri<ii.'' [Parts per million. Collected Dec. 9, 1916; analyzed by Alfred A. Chambers and (.'. Jl. Kidwcll. Xumbors of analyses and assays correspond with those used on I'l. II.) Silica (SiO-.) lro!i (Fe) Calcium (Ca) Magnesium (Mg) Sodium and potassium (Na+Kjf C;u"h<jnateradicle (CO:;) Biiarl lonal e radicle (liCO;)) Sulpliaie radicle (S0^) Chloride radicle f CI) Nil raio radicle ( NOn) Total dis,solvcd solidsat 180 =" C. .. Total hardness as CaCOs Scale-forming constituents^ Foaming constitucntsf Chemical character Prol laliility of corrosion/ Quality for boiler use Quality for domestic use -\jialyses.'' Assays, c S3 .40 9.6 4.5 9.1 5.3 &1 5.9 3.6 .43 68 :42 69 Ca-COs (?) Good Gootl. 20 .11 10 ■i.-.', U .0 38 "16 9.=« .77 SO f 38 55 30 0.41 ; 15 U .0 .0 30 0^ 22 8.0 4.2 , 4.2 <to <G7 23 14 50 40 40 SO Ca-COs Na-CC, ' (?) N ' Good. Good. Good. Good. Na-COa N Good. Good. "For location and other descriptive information see pp. 72-74. *For methods used in analyses and accuracy of results see pp. 52-60. c Approximations: for methods used in assays and reliabiiitv of results sse pp. 52-00. d Collected December 7. 1916. ( Computed. /Based 0'\ computed quantity; (?)=corr6sion uncertain; X=uoncorrosive. PUBLIC WATEU SUPFLIHS. Two companies supply' the residents of Darien with water. The Noroton Water Co. has been supph'ing Darien. Noroton, and Noro- ton Heights in Darien and a fsAv customers in Glenbrook in Stam- ford since 1911. It buys its water by meter from the Stamford Water Co. and distributes it by gra\aty under a pressure of 55 to 65 pounds to the square inch through 15.6 miles of main pipe to 96 hydrants and 406 metered service taps.^ The 2,500 people that are supplied consume an average of 194,000 gallons a day. Mr. Harold H. Mead, the superintendent, stated in 1916 that the winter consumption is only two-thirds as great as the summer consumption. The company owns two reservoir sites, one in North Stamford and one in New Canaan, which will eventually be used. The Tokeneke Water Co. is a subsidiary of the Tokeneke Cor- poration which has made an extensive land development in the southeast corner of the town. Service Avas begun in December, 1909, At present water from tv\'o large dug wells in stratified drift is pumped to a steel standpipe of 46,500 gallons capacity, and is distributed by gravity through 3.5 miles of mains to 16 hydrants 1 Connecticut I'liblic Utilities Commission liept., 1017. 72 GROUND WATER IN XORWALK AXD OTHER AREAS, CONN. iind 81 service taps. The pressure is from 40 to 60 pounds to the square inch. There are two single-acting triplex Gould pumps of G^-inch bore and 8-inch stroke, driven by upright single-cylinder gasoline engines. The capacitj^ of each pump is said by Mr. Charles F. Barker, the superintendent, to be 150 gallons a minute. A small single-acting triplex Gould pump, of 3|-inch bore and 4-inch stroke, that has a capacity of 25 gallons a minute and is driven by an electric motor, is used as an auxiliary. The site of the wells was originally a terrace, but in excavating gravel for road building it has been cut down nearly to the level of the flood plain. Plate VIII, B^ shows the fact of the remaining portion of the terrace and the character of the stratified drift at this point. Plate IX, ^1, shows the pumping plant and the roofs of the wells. At the left is well No. 2 (No. TlA on the map, PL II), which is 32 feet in diameter and 13 feet deep, at the center is the pump house, and at the right is well No. 1 (No. Tl on the map), which is 15 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep. According to Mr. Barker, if pumping is done at the rate of 150 gallons a mJnute and water is taken from both wells the drawdown, or depression of the water level, is about 2 feet. If well No. 1 is pumped alone the water is depressed to the suction limit in 3 or 4 hours. If well No. 2 is pumped alone the drawdown is about 2|^ feet, but the water in well No. 1, 100 feet away, is lowered about 6 inches. Mr. Barker estimates the daily consumption in the summer months to be 60,000 to 70.000 gallons a day. but only a third as much in winter. RECORDS OF WELLS. WclU (lug in till in Daricn. Xo. on PI. 11. 0A\iier. iTopoicraphic i situation. Wra. E.Clark Slope. . . do.. do.. Plateau. do.. Slope... H. V. Miller ! do.. I do.. I Plateau. I Slope. .. do.. John Straks Plain. . . ' do. I Slope.. E. C. Bates | do. I Plain.. I Slope.. ' do. do. n C3 a' o o is 5^ Feet. Fat. Fcef. 130 25.0 21.8 130 24.1 16.6 205 18.6 10.2 205 26.2 10.1 205 19.3 10.1 240 16.1 6.2 2.35 18.5 14.1 230 20.9 13.9 190 17.9 14.7 210 17.6 9.3 180 15.1 9.5 170 17.6 14.2 150 14.8 12.8 185 20.7 15.8 160 20.5 10.2 75 17.0 15.2 75 14.2 8.7 ' 75 19.0 16.1 50 26.3 23.2 Remarks. Feet. 3.2 Windlass rig Nonf ailing. 7.5 . . do. . . Do. 8.4 .. ..do Do. 16.1 Chain pumo Do. 9.2 do....: 9.9 Windlass riband house pump. 4.4 Chain pump Fails. 7.0 Windlass rig Nonf ailing. 3.2 Chain pump Do. 8.3 do Do. 5.6 Windlass rig Do. 3.4 Windlass rig and house pump. Do. 2.0 Deep-v.'ellpump Do. 4.9 Chain pump Abandoned. 10.3 House pump Nonf ailing. 1.8 No rig Do. 5.5 Chain pump Do. 2.9 Windlass rig Do. 3.1 do.......... Do. U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATKH-SUI'I'I.Y TAPKR 17!) PLATK IX A. PLANT OF THE TOKENEKE WATER CO., DARIEN, CONN. B. STRATIFIED DRIFT PLAIN, EAST GRANBY, CONN. DARIKN. 73 Wells dun i» till ill DarUn — Continued. No. on I'i.ll. f.O eoA 60B I 62 66 67 75 76 77 J. C. Ulirlaub. roiiosjiiiphic situation. Hilltop. Slope . . . I'lateau. Slopp. . . Plain... do.. Slope. . . Plain Slope. . . do-- Mlsses Brady do . do. Plain . . James Kenealy.. James A. bridge. do do Trow- Slope..-. Ridge. Slope.. do. do. Plain.. Slope . . do. do. Plain. . Vcet. 180 85 165 IGO SO 70 SO ilO 140 115 110 30 45 50 Fffi. 35.0 17.8 30.6 27. 5 13. 9 12.2 16.4 6.7 2:3.5 M.4 11.4 18.5 12.5 9.0 10.5 55. 0 .38.0 27.0 33.1 12.1 17.2 16.0 13.0 20. 0 14.3 16.8 13.4 8.7 11.1 11.3 3.1 15. 7 13.0 8.0 12.3 3.2 4.5 7.6 35.0 20.0 20.0 20. T 8.2 13.3 12.7 12. 3 7.2 Fe-I 15.0 3.5 13.8 14.1 5.2 1.1 5.1 3.6 7.8 1.4 3.4 6.2 9.3 4.5 2.9 20.0 18.0 7.0 13.0 3.9 3.9 3.3 .7 1.3 («) Windla.ss ri^'. . do Chain pump. . Windlass rig.. 'V ivo-bueket rii Windlas.srig.. House pump.. Chain pump . . do House pump. . Chain nump. . do". One-bucket rig Chain pump . . Windlass rif;. do Chain pump. do do House pump . Rcmuks. Nonfailing. ]>o. Fails. j Nonfailing. Do. Do. Do. Fails. Fails. For assay .see p. 71. Nonfailing. Nonfailing: fresh water though only 125 feet from well No. 53. For assay see p. 71. Fails. Do. (ft) Do.(<-) Nonfailing. Do. Do.(d) Fails. a Well is 20 feet in dianeter. Pumped by electricity to tank. * Well is 3"0 feet east of well No 60. « Well is 150 feet south of well No. 60. <l Well is in a basin between two rock ledges. Wells dug in stratified drift in Dnrien. No. on PI. IT. Ovriwr To)>ographic situation. Eleva- tion above sea level. Total depth. Depth to water. Depth of water in well. Rig. Uemark.s. 2S Slope Plain do do Feet. 25 20 15 15 Feet. 25.0 23.9 10.0 13.0 Feet. 23.2 19.3 6.5 S.O Feet. 1.8 4.6 3.5 House pump.. . ..do 29 Nonfailing 71 71 A Tokeneke Water Co. do (") (0 Nonfailing. For analysis see p. 71.6 Do. « Well is 15 feet in diameter; will yield l.'iO gallons a minute. b Simple collected for analysis is composite of Nos. 71 and 71 A. c Well is 32 feet in diameter: will yield 150 gallons a minute. There is some interference between this well and well No. 71, which is 200 feet farther south. 74 GROUISTD WATER IX jSTOEWALK AXD OTHER AREAS, COISriSr. D-rillcd wells in Daricn. No. on pi.n. O-wner. Topographic situation. Eleya- tion above sea level. Total depth. Depth to rock. Depth to water. Diam- eter. Yield per min- ute. Remarks. 15 Col. Edgerton W.C. Humbert Slope ...... . ..do -. Feci. 155 115 110 105 95 45 90 30 120 140 140 50 20 15 10 15