BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – On Tuesday, April 25, the Bellows Falls Village Trustees discussed the Bellows Falls Water Department and upcoming state tracking information.
Municipal Manager Scott Pickup said the State of Vermont is looking at additional problems they are finding with ponds and tracking where problems might occur in water sources, especially municipal sources that come from a natural water system. Pickup said Rockingham had signed up to participate and hoped the report would provide information to help avoid what others are experiencing; blue-green algae and other problems that are occurring around the State.
Pickup said, to be “100% transparent, there were no issues” currently, even with the manganese issue. He agreed that this is a good program to join and said they would consider any recommendations or best practices made by the state.
Village President Deborah Wright asked if the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) that was provided by the water department always covers the previous year. Pickup said it takes the prior year’s data into account.
Trustee Wade Masure confirmed the study will track data from July 11 to Nov. 7.
Wright affirmed that this was a no-cost analysis. Pickup said it will be interesting and they will report any findings or activity to the board.
Pickup said, “protecting that pond is really important, obviously.”
The CCR or water quality report is a snapshot of the quality of the water provided to Bellows Falls water consumers in 2022. In the report, the department shares water sources, contaminants, data, and health and distribution information. The report explains contaminants, some of which are harmful, and others, such as iron and sulfur, which are not.
The water department tests the water regularly according to regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Vermont. These regulations limit the amounts of said contaminants.
The CCR is available for viewing on the Town of Rockingham website, www.rockinghamvt.org.
The Bellows Falls Village Trustees annual meeting is Monday, May 15, at the Bellows Falls Opera House, with voting at the Masonic Temple on Tuesday. Current President Deborah Wright and Paul Obuchowski are running for village president. There are two open seats for village trustees; this year’s candidates are current trustees James McAuliffe and Stefan Golec, Conor Floyd, and Deborah Wright.