Connecticut General Statutes Title 25. Water Resources. Flood and Erosion Control § 25-42. Power to take lands and streams

Any town, city, borough or corporation authorized by law to supply the inhabitants of any town, city or borough with pure water for public or domestic use may take and use such lands, springs, streams or ponds, or such rights or interests therein, as the Superior Court, or any judge thereof in vacation, on application, deems necessary for the purposes of such supply. The court shall approve or disapprove such taking and use after review of the applicant's analysis of future water supply demands and a determination that alternative means of supplying pure water, including, but not limited to, interconnections to other existing supply systems or a program of demand management, are not reasonably available or feasible to meet such demands provided, if any land proposed for taking is currently being used for agriculture, the court shall consider whether the taking and loss of such agricultural land is offset by the public's need for an adequate supply of pure water. For the purpose of preserving the purity of such water and preventing any contamination thereof, such town, city, borough or corporation may take such lands or rights as the Superior Court, or any judge thereof in vacation, on application, deems necessary therefor. In any case in which the law requires compensation to be made to any person whose rights, interests or property may be injuriously affected by such orders, said court or such judge shall appoint a committee of three disinterested property owners of the judicial district, who shall determine and award the amount to be paid by such authorities before such order is carried into effect.