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Castine Selectboard reviews source-water protections amid questions about nearby golf-club pump
Summary
The Selectboard reviewed the town's Source Water Protection Ordinance and Maine's groundwater best practices after residents raised concerns that a new water feature at the Castine Golf Club could draw from the municipal aquifer. No technical determination was reached; Selectboard suggested inviting the club and/or referring questions to the Utility Board and flagged possible DEP studies.
Roberta Boczkiewicz, chair of the Town of Castine Selectboard, said she had read the town's Source Water Protection Ordinance and the State of Maine's Best Practices for Groundwater Protection and emphasized that she “would never do anything to endanger the water source in Castine.” The remarks opened a town discussion about whether a newly constructed golf-club “lake” and its pump might draw from the local aquifer.
Residents pressed for clarity. Bill Corbett and others asked whether the Castine Golf Club’s water features would reduce groundwater supply; the board and staff did not have a confirmed technical answer at the meeting. Josh Adam asked whether the town had received a reply to its letter to the golf club; the board said it had not. Selectboard member Dan Leader suggested inviting Castine Golf Club representatives to a meeting. The chair also noted that questions could be brought to the town Utility Board for technical review.
Selectboard member Gus Basile had requested the review and told the board the state guide and the town ordinance raised cautionary points about siting certain facilities near sensitive groundwater. Boczkiewicz said the town is aware of some Department of Environmental Protection studies the board had not previously known about and that the Selectboard would likely inquire further.
What happens next: board members agreed these concerns merit follow-up rather than immediate action. The Selectboard advised staff to pursue technical input, invited residents and stakeholders to submit information, and signaled a willingness to schedule a future meeting to hear from the golf club or the Utility Board once additional facts are available.
