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Town memo: Enfield can serve about 150 units now; officials, developer agree to an engineering study for full buildout
Summary
Town public works director told the Planning Board the existing system comfortably supports roughly 150 units; the board and developer agreed to a third‑party engineering study and to explore on‑site wells or McConnell Well treatment as options for additional capacity.
Enfield public works staff told the Planning Board on Nov. 19 that the town currently pumps about 64,000 gallons a day from three wells and can comfortably serve around 150 housing units under current usage patterns, but that the full Laramie Farms buildout will require further work and evaluation.
"I am comfortable right now with the original project number, which was around 150 units," Public Works Director Jim Taylor said, noting the town has added capacity in recent years and is running wells on a schedule that refills storage tanks overnight. "We currently are pumping about 64,000 gallons a day. It would add, you know, 8 to 10,000 [gallons/day] to that for the first half of the project."
Town manager Ed Morris and Taylor told the board the preferred option is to identify new water on or near the Laramie Farms property (an on‑site well) because acquiring a new source is typically easier than applying a complex filter to an existing municipal well. "Securing a new water source would be the preferred option," Morris said; treating the McConnell Well is a viable alternative if on‑site sources are not feasible.
Why it matters: Board members and many residents said they want the study's underlying data and assumptions posted before the next hearing so the public can evaluate demand estimates and treatment options. Several speakers urged that any capital or ongoing costs to expand the town supply be borne by the developer, not by town ratepayers.
What was agreed: The board and the applicant agreed a third‑party engineering study will analyze current town water demand, project usage for the proposed units (including assumptions about low‑flow fixtures), and options to increase capacity — on‑site wells, McConnell Well treatment, or other improvements. Town staff said any added capacity would be brought onto the municipal system at developer expense and subject to review by the town's engineers and by state regulators.
Next steps: The Public Works memo (Nov. 17) will be posted to the town website; the third‑party engineer will complete the water‑supply study and present findings as part of the developer's final application package.
