NEWTON, N.H. — Town officials are looking to create a new obstacle for developers considering projects that could impact residents' water supply.
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing Sept. 23 to give residents an opportunity to voice their opinions on proposed new rules that would require water companies to come before the town for approval before applying for water franchises. Currently, all water supply issues are handled on the state level by the Department of Environmental Services and the Public Utility Commission.
Following the hearing, planners will vote on whether to put the rules in place.
Alternate Planning Board member Mary Allen, who also is a state representative, designed the rules and presented them to the board last week. She said she did so in hope of preventing future problems such as the ones that have come up with the Sargent Wood development and the Hampstead Area Water Co.
The water company originally wanted a 642-acre franchise in Newton, but reduced it to 66 acres after public objections. The scaled-back proposal for water withdrawal was approved by the Public Utility Commission on Aug. 8.
Allen also will present a petition to the DES on Wednesday that requests the water withdrawal for Sargent Wood not exceed the needs of the development. The petition also requests that the department notify the town if the company makes a request to expand its water services beyond the 84 units in Sargent Wood, Allen said. Newton has no town water supply; residents get their water from individual wells.
Other area towns also are addressing their water supplies.
Residents in Atkinson are in the process of trying to make changes to a town ordinance to give the town control over water, but the proposal has been met with some criticism from town officials, who say the changes would be illegal because they would supercede state law.
During a hearing on the proposed ordinance in August, Atkinson Selectmen Chairman Paul Sullivan said if the ordinance is passed at Town Meeting next Tuesday, it could lead to "long and costly litigation."
Newton Planning Board member Jim Doggett said he isn't concerned about the legality of the proposed rules in Newton because they would be in addition to state regulations and don't go against any regulations in place.
"I have yet to see the state come down on anyone and say you're being too restrictive, we are not going to allow this," Doggett said.
The Planning Board first reviewed the rules at a meeting last week and generally agreed they would sufficiently protect the town water supply, Doggett said.
The hearing on the proposed new rules will be held at the Newton Town hall at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23.
