sponsored by:   National Rural Water Association

By Joesph Edgerton
Staff Writer

"Without a drinking water supply," said Jennifer Palmiotto, "you have no community."

Each year, she said, the New Hampshire Rural Water Association works with three communities, basing its choice on the needs of the community and the willingness of the community to participate. The group met with Bow citizens May 4 to assess the condition of Bow's drinking water supply areas, and create a committee to monitor progress.

The association is a nonprofit organization concerned with maintaining water and wastewater systems throughout the state, and Palmiotto is a source protection specialist.

Controlling land use near water supplies, maintaining septic systems and controlling runoff from roads are Bow's biggest concerns for keeping the water supply safe, said Palmiotto. "The workshop was pretty successful," said Palmiotto. "Twenty to 30 people attended, and the board will appoint 10 of them to work on a steering committee. The best thing that people can do is to spread the word and be conscious of how they impact the environment."

"Obviously, everyone in Bow needs water," said Bill Klubben, planning and economic development director for Bow. "There are 32 public supplies. Bow needs a preservation plan for future generations."

Klubben said a meeting schedule for the new committee is still in the works, but a monthly meeting schedule will be set fairly soon. After eight months, the committee will decide how plans to protect Bow's drinking water might be adapted to best serve the community.

"After December of 2005, the steering committee has to decide one recommendation to implement," he said. "We have a lot of good quality water in Bow, and we need to protect it."

The challenges facing the protection of Bow's water supply are challenges that are fairly common everywhere else, said Palmiotto. She identified three specific concerns.

"Based on the studies, the main challenge anywhere is septic system management," she said. "In Bow specifically, land use near the water supply, septic systems, and runoff from highways and other transportation corridors are the three biggest threats."

Many of Bow's water supply areas are old and people have developed land near them over the years. She cited the example of a "beautiful, high-yield aquifer near the industrial/commercial area."

Klubben agreed, but said the situation is still manageable. "We're not going to flatten a block of houses in a residential area because we think they're a little close to the water supply," he said.

Instead, one of the goals of the committee is to ensure a safe distance between businesses and water supplies. One of the proposed initiatives is a "buffer zone" around underground water reserves that would prevent overdevelopment.

"I'm no expert on the topic," said Klubben "but all wells have a sanitary protective radius, and my sense is that each has a set of individual protective measures." No sanitary distance has been established just yet, but the buffer zones will most likely be tailored to fit the nature of the business.

"There's a plethora of RCRAs (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act sites) in the area," said Palmiotto. "The buffer zones will most likely vary based on the nature of the facility and its history of safe waste storage or disposal."

An RCRA is essentially a storage facility for hazardous materials or wastes.

Both Klubben and Palmiotto said the average citizen can provide great assistance by maintaining a clean septic system. Dumping household cleaners down the sink or toilet, for example, can affect nearby underground water supplies easily.

Klubben urged Bow citizens to be part of the solution. "We want people to be involved on any level that they can be," he said. "The steering committee is filled up, but we are open to response from the community."

For more information, call Bill Klubben at 225-3008, or visit the New Hampshire Rural Water Association Web site at www.nhruralwater.org.

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