Resident urges state-backed 47‑mile Seacoast water main during public comment
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Summary
During public comment at the July 24 Board of Water Commissioners meeting, resident Michael Sills urged creation of a state-backed regional water entity and a roughly $50 million pipeline to serve the Seacoast, citing saltwater intrusion risk and widespread private wells.
Michael Sills, a Manchester resident, urged the Board of Water Commissioners on July 24 to pursue a state-backed pipeline to bring water from inland supplies to the Seacoast.
Sills told the board he has been an engineer for nearly 30 years and described a proposal for a roughly 47-mile water main connecting inland supplies to Seacoast communities. “I was thinking 50,000,000 to get a pipe out to the Seacoast,” he said, and suggested the project could be run by a state-created entity able to apply for funding, similar to how Winnipesaukee-area sewer projects were organized.
Sills framed the proposal as a response to long-term water risks on the Seacoast, including saltwater intrusion near coastal freshwater sources and a concentration of private wells. He said 53% of the state is on private wells and argued that region-wide planning or a state-led effort would be required to extend municipal water to the Seacoast. He also reported prior, informal discussions with legislators and regional officials about routing utilities along the Route 101 corridor.
Board members did not take formal action on the suggestion during the meeting. The remarks were made during the public comment portion of the agenda; no vote or staff directive was recorded in response.