EXHIBIT 5

                      [Letterhead of Day, Berry & Howard]



                                       January 27, 1995




Aquarion Company
835 Main Street
Bridgeport, Connecticut  06601-2353


Ladies and Gentlemen:


        We have acted as your counsel with respect to the registration statement
on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") (File No. 33-57013) under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), as filed by Aquarion Company
("Aquarion" or the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") relating to the issuance of up to 140,000 shares of the Company's
Common Stock, without par value (the "Common Stock"), in connection with the
proposed acquisition (the "Acquisition") by Bridgeport Hydraulic Company
("BHC"), a subsidiary of the Company, of all of the assets of The New Canaan
Company ("NCC"), pursuant to an Acquisition Agreement, dated as of September 2,
1992, by and among NCC, Aquarion and BHC as thereafter amended from time to
time.

        We have examined the Registration Statement and the related
Prospectus/Proxy Statement (the "Prospectus").  We have also examined documents
and records, and have made such examination of law as we deemed relevant and
necessary in order to give this opinion.  In our examination, we have assumed
the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the
authenticity of the documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to
original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic
copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.  As to
any facts material to this opinion which we did not independently establish or
verify, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other
representatives of Aquarion and BHC.  We

 
Aquarion Company                      -2-                       January 27, 1995



have assumed without verification the accuracy of the representations as to
factual matters set forth in the Prospectus.

        The opinions set forth herein are based upon the federal laws of the
United States and the laws of the States of Connecticut and of Delaware, and no
opinion is expressed as to the laws of any other jurisdiction.

        Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

        1.   The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and
             in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has
             16,000,000 shares of authorized Common Stock and has the power and
             authority to issue up to said 140,000 shares of Common Stock.

        2.   Said up to 140,000 shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized
             and at such time as certificates representing said up to 140,000
             shares of Common Stock have been duly delivered and paid for in
             accordance with the terms and conditions described in the
             Registration Statement, said up to 140,000 shares of Common Stock
             will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares of
             Common Stock.

        We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to any references to us in the Registration
Statement.

                                       Very truly yours,

                                       DAY, BERRY & HOWARD