Aquifer Protection Areas for Public Water Supply Wells

Data from 1991 to the present depicts current aquifer protection areas in Connecticut. The layer includes all Preliminary (Level B) and Final (Level A) areas approved by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Mapping is compiled at a 1:24,000 scale and updated as final mapping becomes available.

Use Cases

• Identify aquifer_protection_area_type (Preliminary/Final) and status to prioritize detailed groundwater modeling efforts.
• Analyze spatial distribution of approved protection areas to assess regulatory coverage for sand and gravel aquifers.
• Use polygon features at 1:24,000 scale for zoning analysis and land-use planning around public water supply wells.
• Track temporal updates as final mapping replaces preliminary mapping based on site-specific groundwater flow models.

Strengths

• Data spans from 1991 to the present, providing a multi-decade record of regulatory designations.
• Features are mapped at a standardized 1:24,000 scale, suitable for regional analysis.
• Includes both Preliminary (Level B) and Final (Level A) Aquifer Protection Areas, showing the approval process.

Limitations

• Specific row count and total area coverage are unknown, limiting quantification of dataset scope.
• Attribute information is described as codes for identification and cartography, suggesting limited descriptive variables.
• Relies on mapping submitted by individual water utilities, potentially introducing inconsistency in methodology prior to DEEP approval.

Provenance

Source

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Collection Method

Delineated by individual water utilities and submitted to DEEP for approval; final mapping based on site-specific groundwater flow modeling.

Time Range

1991 to present.

Freshness

Updated as final mapping becomes available; last platform update was 2026-04-05.

Geography

State of Connecticut, USA.