The Tuftonboro Conservation Commission Environmental Assessment Project

The Conservation Commission is initiating an Environmental Assessment (EA) study of Nineteen Mile Brook, Whitten Road, Nineteen Mile Bay, and adjoining wetlands located in Tuftonboro. This study is in response to a “proposed rapid infiltration facility” proposed for the disposal of up to 600,000 gallons daily of semi-treated wastewater from Wolfeboro. The semi-treated wastewater is determined to be safe for human drinking water, but could contain unknown, unidentified chemicals as well as the usual sewerage composition. Although a major project such as this is usually required to have an EA, for some reason the NHDES chose not to require one. Surprisingly the NHDES approved the project on the basis of “safe drinking water”. The decision seemingly has little or no concern for the potential effects on Lake Winnipesaukee or the native animal and plant life in the area.

The rapid infiltration facility, as currently proposed, is comprised of rapid infiltration basins that will be located on a steep hill immediately adjacent to the Town of Tuftonboro (map 1), at a specific location where steeply sloped banks have created a series of small tributaries that discharge directly into Nineteen Mile Brook. The wastewater is to be placed into the basins and then directed down into a large sand aquifer for filtering. The sand aquifer is located largely in Tuftonboro, and the wastewater can also be expected to outflow from the aquifer and eventually find its way towards Nineteen Mile Brook and adjoining wetland areas that are both located in Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro (maps 2 and 3).

Consequently the Commission considers it prudent to establish a base line EA study of the sizeable, affected area located in Tuftonboro, and to collect data before the proposed facility, which is under construction, becomes operational, and before another increase in sewerage from the proposed Huggins Hospital expansion, is added. Our proposed EA is even more important in view of the recent newspaper reports that residual pharmaceutical and chemical compounds in the drinking water in cities and towns throughout the United States is having adverse effects on fish, birds and reptiles.