Aquarion Water Authority (AWA) has been working on a long-range plan to strengthen the resiliency of the existing water system in the Fairfield County area. AWA is currently working with AECOM, a consulting engineering firm, to design a new 36-inch diameter water main.
The pipeline design and construction is divided into phases. The design of Phase 3-1A is nearing completion. This work begins in Fairfield at the Hemlocks Reservoir on Black Rock Turnpike and proceeds approximately 4.4 miles into Westport to an underground connection at the intersection of Coleytown Road and Easton Road (Connecticut Route 136). Construction for this phase is expected to begin in the Spring of 2027.
The intent of this document is to provide an overview of the next phase of the project. Phase 3-1B will extend the new 36-inch water main from the end of Phase 3-1A on Coleytown Road in Westport to the intersection of Chestnut Hill Road and Westport Road in Wilton.
The proposed route in for Phase 3-1B is presented in the figure below and generally follows the following streets:
- West on Coleytown Road to Lyons Plain Road in Westport
- North on Weston Road into Weston
- West on Broad Street into Westport
- North on Newtown Turnpike into Wilton
- West onto an off-road easement owned by Eversource
- South on Rivergate Road to West Meadow Road in Wilton
- West on Ridge Road in Wilton
- South on Chestnut Hill Road in Wilton
- Ending at the intersection of Chestnut Hill Road and Westport Road in Wilton. The new pipe will connect to an existing transmission main on Westport Road at this location.
On-Site Tasks During Design:
To support the design of the pipeline, several on-site tasks will be performed. These tasks are expected to begin in September, 2026.
- A surveying crew from Pereira Engineering will document the existing conditions along the route.
- A soil scientist from AECOM will be flagging the inland wetlands within the street right-of-ways.
- Geotechnical borings will be taken to investigate the soil conditions. Before drilling occurs:
- An engineer from AECOM will mark out the locations of the borings.
- A crew from Corbuilt LLC will confirm locations of buried utilities using ground penetrating radar.
- A vacuum excavation crew from a boring contractor will carefully remove pavement and the soil underneath to confirm there are no utilities at particular locations.
- The boring contractor will then drill test borings so the subsurface soil conditions can be evaluated.
- During design, test pits will be excavated by vacuum methods to allow access for measuring specific buried utilities of interest.
- Traffic control devices such as cones and signs will be provided during the on-site tasks when needed. In addition, it is anticipated that police details may be required and it may be necessary to close a lane of traffic.
Project Duration and Schedule:
The project design schedule is as follows:
| Milestone | Anticipated Schedule |
| On-site design activities | Fall through early winter 2026 |
| Final design completed | Early summer 2027 |
If you have any questions, please call Dennis Fields, Aquarion Water Project Representative, at (203) 258-6139.
