Just Sold
04-11-2007, 06:53 AM
This is an informative article on the first conference co-sponsored by the NHDES and Plymouth State University on water quality. I highlighted, in red, 2 areas of importance to those who use the lakes and drink the water from wells.
From the NHBR Business News Browser
Protecting our water quality
<SCRIPT>document.title = unescape("Protecting%20our%20water%20quality") + " - Fosters";</SCRIPT>
<TABLE><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>By BOB MARTIN
rmartincitizen.com
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
CONCORD - Growth and development are forcing communities all over New Hampshire to pay closer attention to their water supplies, Gov. John Lynch told those attending a conference on the topic.
Addressing the first New Hampshire Water Conference at the Grappone Center in Concord on Monday, Lynch said everyone deserves to have clean, safe drinking water. The governor noted that municipalities across the state are in the planning stages of developing additional drinking water sources while others already have applied to the N.H. Department of Environmental Services for groundwater withdrawal permits to increase public water supplies.
The conference was co-sponsored by Plymouth State University.
Lynch said that the changes happening within the state have sparked an increase in attention on water resources and how they are managed. He commented on the unprecedented growth and the deterioration of critical infrastructure along with dams, the pressures of commercial uses of groundwater, and increasing regulatory requirements for wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities.
Lynch said that there is a need to do a better job of conserving water, both to protect a vital resource and to reduce costs and energy consumption.
Commenting on the rapid growth of the state, Lynch said that, while he encourages growth, it poses challenges that have to be addressed. Other challenges, he said, were aging treatment plants and inferior equipment.
In addition to the governor, the event featured a variety of other guests from around the state. Sponsored by PSU's Center for Environment, the DES, the U.S. Geological Survey, New Hampshire's Geological Survey, the University of New Hampshire Water Resources Research Center and the N.H. Water Works Association, the event was separated into morning and afternoon sessions, with a catered lunch in between, at which time Lynch addressed those who attended the conference.
The governor said that, based on an economic study by the New Hampshire Lakes Association, the economic value of water resources from recreational uses alone is estimated to be between $1.1 billion and $1.4 billion. Lynch said that is a reason to continue to restore and protect the lakes that support the tourist and recreational industries.
He said the state needs to meet the challenge of managing water resources for the long term, finding a balance between environmental and economic needs.
Other portions of the conference include morning plenary sessions — presentations that addressed the current condition and future issues of water resources; New Hampshire in 2030; water demand trends; projected costs for water and wastewater; and effects of climate change on the state's water resources.
The afternoon sessions split between two rooms, with two sessions happening at a time. Michelle Daley of the Department of Natural Resources at UNH gave a presentation linking groundwater quality to landscape characteristics in the Lamprey River Basin. The area, located mostly in Rockingham County, is an area where development rates are high and most residents rely on private wells and septic systems. A study on 189 wells including several tests with a focus on nitrate, arsenic and chloride.
"We determined groundwater quality using landscape characteristics," said Daly. "We compared groundwater quality to the surface water quality."
She said one well exceeded the EPA limits for nitrate and lead for drinking water and others exceeded limits for chloride, sodium and arsenic. In fact, with arsenic, 8.7 percent of the wells tested exceeded EPA limits, meaning that approximately 1 out of 12 people were drinking too much arsenic.
She concluded that activities on land surfaces affect groundwater quality and groundwater concentrations can vary over time and space.
Michael Simpson, director of the Resource Management and Conservation Program Environmental Studies Department at Antioch/New England Graduate School, gave a presentation on preparing for climate change. He focused on Keene, which was a town affected by the floods of May 2006.
"Keene was a one-in-10,000-year storm," said Simpson. "We can't really say it definitely had to do with climate change, but you have to ask, 'What happened?'"
Using Global Climate Change models, he projected the percentage of culverts to be undersize due to an increased frequency of intense precipitation. According to the projections, 48 percent of the culverts in the study were likely to be undersized at and upgrade cost of $226,000. He used Keene as a model for other small towns of this nature.
During his speech, Lynch praised those involved with the conference, notably the schools involved.
"From cutting-edge research to student initiatives on conserving energy, New Hampshire's universities and colleges are making a huge difference in how we think about our environment and work to protect it," he said.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
c. 2007 George J. Foster Co.
</TD></TR>
From the NHBR Business News Browser
Protecting our water quality
<SCRIPT>document.title = unescape("Protecting%20our%20water%20quality") + " - Fosters";</SCRIPT>
<TABLE><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>By BOB MARTIN
rmartincitizen.com
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
CONCORD - Growth and development are forcing communities all over New Hampshire to pay closer attention to their water supplies, Gov. John Lynch told those attending a conference on the topic.
Addressing the first New Hampshire Water Conference at the Grappone Center in Concord on Monday, Lynch said everyone deserves to have clean, safe drinking water. The governor noted that municipalities across the state are in the planning stages of developing additional drinking water sources while others already have applied to the N.H. Department of Environmental Services for groundwater withdrawal permits to increase public water supplies.
The conference was co-sponsored by Plymouth State University.
Lynch said that the changes happening within the state have sparked an increase in attention on water resources and how they are managed. He commented on the unprecedented growth and the deterioration of critical infrastructure along with dams, the pressures of commercial uses of groundwater, and increasing regulatory requirements for wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities.
Lynch said that there is a need to do a better job of conserving water, both to protect a vital resource and to reduce costs and energy consumption.
Commenting on the rapid growth of the state, Lynch said that, while he encourages growth, it poses challenges that have to be addressed. Other challenges, he said, were aging treatment plants and inferior equipment.
In addition to the governor, the event featured a variety of other guests from around the state. Sponsored by PSU's Center for Environment, the DES, the U.S. Geological Survey, New Hampshire's Geological Survey, the University of New Hampshire Water Resources Research Center and the N.H. Water Works Association, the event was separated into morning and afternoon sessions, with a catered lunch in between, at which time Lynch addressed those who attended the conference.
The governor said that, based on an economic study by the New Hampshire Lakes Association, the economic value of water resources from recreational uses alone is estimated to be between $1.1 billion and $1.4 billion. Lynch said that is a reason to continue to restore and protect the lakes that support the tourist and recreational industries.
He said the state needs to meet the challenge of managing water resources for the long term, finding a balance between environmental and economic needs.
Other portions of the conference include morning plenary sessions — presentations that addressed the current condition and future issues of water resources; New Hampshire in 2030; water demand trends; projected costs for water and wastewater; and effects of climate change on the state's water resources.
The afternoon sessions split between two rooms, with two sessions happening at a time. Michelle Daley of the Department of Natural Resources at UNH gave a presentation linking groundwater quality to landscape characteristics in the Lamprey River Basin. The area, located mostly in Rockingham County, is an area where development rates are high and most residents rely on private wells and septic systems. A study on 189 wells including several tests with a focus on nitrate, arsenic and chloride.
"We determined groundwater quality using landscape characteristics," said Daly. "We compared groundwater quality to the surface water quality."
She said one well exceeded the EPA limits for nitrate and lead for drinking water and others exceeded limits for chloride, sodium and arsenic. In fact, with arsenic, 8.7 percent of the wells tested exceeded EPA limits, meaning that approximately 1 out of 12 people were drinking too much arsenic.
She concluded that activities on land surfaces affect groundwater quality and groundwater concentrations can vary over time and space.
Michael Simpson, director of the Resource Management and Conservation Program Environmental Studies Department at Antioch/New England Graduate School, gave a presentation on preparing for climate change. He focused on Keene, which was a town affected by the floods of May 2006.
"Keene was a one-in-10,000-year storm," said Simpson. "We can't really say it definitely had to do with climate change, but you have to ask, 'What happened?'"
Using Global Climate Change models, he projected the percentage of culverts to be undersize due to an increased frequency of intense precipitation. According to the projections, 48 percent of the culverts in the study were likely to be undersized at and upgrade cost of $226,000. He used Keene as a model for other small towns of this nature.
During his speech, Lynch praised those involved with the conference, notably the schools involved.
"From cutting-edge research to student initiatives on conserving energy, New Hampshire's universities and colleges are making a huge difference in how we think about our environment and work to protect it," he said.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
c. 2007 George J. Foster Co.
</TD></TR>