The Willimantic River is a tributary of the Shetucket River, approximately 25 mi (40 km) long in northeastern Connecticut in the New England region of the United States. Certain stretches of the river are quite fast-flowing, and this feature led to construction of textile mills and supporting towns all along the Willimantic River. The pollution these mills and concentrations of humans created became a serious problem.
How the Clean Mater Act affected the Willimantic River in Connecticut is a success story that can be repeated around the world.
A "Report on the Investigation of the Pollution of Streams" published in 1915 by the Connecticut State Board of Health states, "The principal sources of pollution (of the Willimantic River) are the city of Willimantic and the towns of South Coventry, Eagleville, Mansfield Depot, South Wilmington and Stafford Springs. The river is badly polluted at Willimantic and just below Stafford Springs where the water is slightly discolored by dyes from the mills."
In 1967, Connecticut passed its Clean Water Act. Among other mandates, it required all towns to build secondary sewage treatment plants. Secondary treatment removes up to 85 percent of the organic matter in treated water and disinfects it to protect public health. In 1965, only 19 percent of human waste was secondarily treated. By 1976, over 90 percent of waste was secondarily treated. Today, virtually 100 percent of all waste discharged into the Willimantic and other rivers in Connecticut is secondarily treated.
In 1967, the discharge from Stafford Springs was untreated and the Willimantic River was severely polluted. With secondary treatment and industrial wastewater pretreatment, the Cole Wilde Trout Management Area on the Willimantic River below Stafford is now one of the best fishing areas in Connecticut.
Today the Willimantic River is nearly pristine, one of Connecticut's crown jewels in its public lands inventory. Numerous public lands offer access in state forest, public parks and fishing easements. The river's tributary streams offer similar natural and historical features. Much of the river's corridor is wooded and rural, making it a popular destination for walking, fishing, and paddling canoes or kayaks down the river. The Willimantic River's 25-mile corridor was designated as a Connecticut State Greenway in 2003.
The Clean Water Act of Connecticut was one of the first laws in the nation to tackle the problems caused by generations of unbridled exploitation of water resources. Its provisions systematically forced local governments to clean up waste water before discharging it into the Willimantic River and other bodies of water along the watershed. These measures have resulted in substantial improvements to the water quality, and the quality of life for the population along the Willimantic River.
The Willimantic River's recovery from centuries of pollution and blockage caused by man's greed is a success story for the Connecticut Clean Water Act, and for conservationists everywhere. Fish and wildlife congregate in and around the Willimantic River in abundance, and humans flock to the area to enjoy nature walks, canoeing, fishing, and other outdoor activities. The old mills that formerly dammed the river's flow and dumped dye pollutants into it are either closed or converted to apartment buildings and other more benign uses.
