DECIPHERING TRENDS IN GROUND WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY IN THE FRACTURED BEDROCK IN THE COVENTRY QUADRANGLE, CONNECTICUT USING GIS

Within the last twenty years New England has experienced substantial increases in rural development. Connecticut has demonstrated this trend in several rural towns with increases in growth as high as 30% since 1985. With growth rates expected to continue to increase, Connecticut’s reliance on fractured crystalline and sedimentary rocks as a ground water resource will also increase; however, little is known about this critical resource. Through the creation of a combined GIS database for well completion and water quality data for the Coventry Quadrangle in Connecticut, we have evaluated the ground water availability as well as the ground water quality within the fractured bedrock spatially and temporally. The database consists of approximately 5,000 well completion reports and 6,500 water quality reports. Using spatial statistical analyses, relationships between water quality parameters and surficial and bedrock geological conditions, geomorphic features, and development were assessed. We are hopeful that further analysis of this data will promote the expansion of our well completion and water quality reports databases in order to determine the sustainability of our groundwater resource across Connecticut.