Community Utilities, facilities, and services

Water Systems

The majority of the Windham Region is served by individual private water supplies. In addition, there are over 50 public community water systems, which may be operated by a town, village or special purpose municipality, or privately operated, either individually or cooperatively. Municipally-owned public water supply systems are often provided in the more densely settled sections of towns and villages that may not otherwise have access to a safe and reliable domestic water supply. Many of the region's non-public water supplies serve seasonal housing developments located close to ski resort areas and some of the smaller villages.

Centralized systems allow residents to share in the cost of acquiring and maintaining their water supplies. Generally, public water supplies are easier to maintain and protect than individual water supplies in densely settled areas. Along with wastewater facilities, public water supplies allow for denser development within town and village centers. Public water systems are particularly important to support higher density residential projects that require fire sprinkler systems and a variety of different commercial uses, in particular manufacturing, that need a reliable and high volume of water.

The most common problem facing communities that have or are exploring the creation of municipal or privately-owned public water supply systems is obtaining funding to acquire or upgrade water supply facilities. These systems are very expensive and communities can face challenges when trying to put together sufficient and sustainable financing for projects. The State has recognized the critical role of public water systems to support public health and revitalization in villages and recently created a new funding source for municipalities using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Table 8-1 below provides current data on the public water supply systems operated in Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Guilford, Putney, Readsboro, Wilmington, and the Wilmington/Cold Brook Fire District. These systems serve populations ranging from approximately 330 to 12,000 people. In total, approximately 19,000 residents or 39 percent of the region’s population receives water through a public system. Policies regarding the extension of water mains for these municipal water supplies vary across the different entities.

TABLE 8-1: public water supples in the windham region

Source: Information provided by water providers and town offices  

According to the Vermont Department of Health, there are over 200 public non-community water supply systems in the Windham Region that serve non-residential uses, such as schools, offices, and motels. These small-scale systems are regulated by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation in the same manner as large systems. While almost every town in the region has at least one non-community system, the highest number are found in the towns with ski resorts (Dover, Londonderry, and Wilmington). 

Each public water system has an accompanying source protection area. The adjacent graphic illustrates the source protection areas in Saxtons River as an example. Within the 200-foot radius of the primary water collection area, contamination impacts are likely to be immediate and certain. Beyond that, source protection areas are tested and mapped to determine further sources of probable and possible contamination. Where there has been no mapping, the State assumes a circular area with a 3,000-foot radius around the water source. The DEC has jurisdiction over the protection of public water supply sources. Within source protection areas, the DEC reviews Act 250 and wastewater facility applications. The DEC also requires that towns develop a plan for protecting source areas. Such protection may become part of a municipal zoning bylaw, though towns are not currently required to restrict land uses within these areas. Key Source Protection Areas in the region are identified on the Utilities Map.

Threats to groundwater and wells in the region include agricultural runoff, nearby salt storage areas, road salting, contaminated runoff from paved areas, flood events, and failing septic systems. Some private water systems have been pumped at rates exceeding the aquifer's capacity, resulting in yields that do not adequately meet the needs of users. Some systems have inadequate storage capacity, creating problems during power failures when homes may be without water.

As more PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination is discovered in groundwater, additional public water systems may be required by the State of Vermont. This will require significant public investments. PFAS are a large group of commonly used chemicals whose components breakdown very slowly over time. Studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may be linked to harmful effects in humans. Since 2016, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the Vermont Department of Health have been working on identifying PFAS sources in Vermont, protecting consumers from existing exposures to PFAS, and encouraging the EPA to provide leadership on the management of PFAS.