House Republican Press Release

October 20, 2006

Press Office: 860-240-8700

REP. CHAPIN RECOGNIZED FOR EFFORTS TO PROTECT WATER SUPPLIES

On Thursday, October 19, State Representative Clark J. Chapin (R-New Milford) received the Connecticut Water Works Association’s ‘Legislator of the Year Award’ for his leadership on issues affecting Connecticut’s public water supplies and water quality. Rep. Chapin serves as Ranking Member (House Republican Leader) of the Legislature’s Environment Committee. The Connecticut Water Works Association (CWWA) is an association of public water supply utilities that promotes state policies that assure reliable, high quality water supplies to protect the public health and safety.

“Representative Chapin consistently tackles very complex issues with vision and leadership. As a leader on the Environment Committee, he has a proven track record of negotiating reasonable policies regarding the protection and oversight of the state’s public water supplies.” said Susan Suhanovsky, of The Torrington Water Company and President of CWWA. “His efforts on legislation affecting the state’s public water supplies helped ensure that Connecticut’s towns would not face water supply shortages.  Instead, we can now move forward with reasonable policies affecting rivers and streams that balance the state’s public health and welfare with the need to protect our environment and aquatic life.”

“In addition, Rep. Chapin has supported efforts to protect the state’s watershed areas to safeguard the quality of our drinking water. He clearly recognizes that people rely on public water companies to provide them with a reliable supply of safe, high quality water at a reasonable cost.  And, at the same time, he understands that protecting watershed and aquifer areas is critical to the future of our water supplies,” said Suhanovsky.   

The award was presented at CWWA’s Annual Fall Meeting held in Hartford.