Dover Board of Health refers proposed well and pool regulation amendments to town council, seeks hydrogeological review ahead of Strawberry Hill proposal

On Monday, June 8, the Dover Board of Health voted unanimously to refer proposed amendments to its well and pool regulations to the town council for review and input, saying the rules should be in place in time to inform the Strawberry Hill 40B feasibility process.

Board member Steven Kresco said the timing is critical: "It needs to be in place before the process goes too much further on Strawberry Hill," he said, pressing the board to ensure a hydrogeological-review option will exist for larger developments.

The referral follows staff presentation of a consolidated "clean" draft of the well regulations that moves technical specifics to guidance documents and adds language intended to let the board require more substantive review for certain projects. Staff read the proposed clause into the record: "The board reserves the right to require an applicant to provide a hydrogeological study demonstrating that the proposed well or wells on a parcel can supply the projected water demand without adverse interference or depletion of nearby wells," Jason said. The board said the clause was included specifically with the Strawberry Hill scenario in mind.

Why it matters: the change would give the board a clear regulatory basis to ask for formal hydrogeological analysis of proposed wells tied to large developments, which board members said could strengthen the town’s position during 40B or other feasibility reviews. Board members discussed the timing of a possible public hearing and agreed to seek town-council input before scheduling a hearing, with a target of bringing the item back in the fall if town council’s review is complete.

The board also debated a separate pool-regulation provision intended to protect the aquifer: a line in the draft would prohibit filling a swimming pool, hot tub, or spa "in whole" from sources that draw from local aquifers (for example, private wells) and would recommend using trucked water for initial fills or relining. Members discussed enforcement practicality and whether the text should explicitly include public water systems that obtain water from the town aquifer; they decided to add proposed phrasing and ask town council for guidance on public-water implications.

The board voted to refer the proposed amendments to town council for input; the motion was moved and seconded and carried on a roll-call vote in which K. Peterson, Steven Kresco and John Quackenbush recorded their assent. The board will share the draft with town council and await feedback before scheduling any required hearings; members said they will target the September meeting schedule for any subsequent public hearings if town-council review allows.

Recording the action: the referral preserves the board’s ability to request technical studies and signals an intent to tighten requirements around major developments that could affect local groundwater. The board did not adopt the regulations on the spot; the item now moves to town council review and potentially to a public hearing in the fall.