Connecticut Water team plants more than 400 trees in Killingworth to protect water source

KILLINGWORTH, Conn., April 24, 2026 - Connecticut Water employee volunteers, along with Connwood Foresters Inc., recently planted 400 white pine trees around Killingworth Reservoir as part of a leaf screen project to protect the long-term quality of a critical water source.

Leaf screens involve a strategic planting of conifers along the shoreline of a water source to help block or catch deciduous leaves before they enter the water source. Decomposing leaves in the reservoir release nutrients and other organic material, which can reduce water quality, increase treatment needs and also clog filters.

The evergreens provide a year-round buffer that filters leaves, stabilizes soil, and helps maintain the health of the water source. Forests act as natural water filters - capturing sediment, absorbing nutrients, and breaking down pollutants before they can reach a reservoir. Leaf litter and organic matter slow runoff and allow water to percolate through the soil, where it is naturally filtered and cooled.

Connecticut Water owns more than 6,500 acres land in Connecticut as dedicated open space to protect water sources. We invest in additional watershed acreage as it is available and beneficial to the protection of our water supply.

Killingworth and Kelseytown reservoirs provide the source water to the William Neal MacKenzie Drinking Water Treatment Facility, which serves more than 24,000 customers in Guilford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook and Old Saybrook.