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Resident raises concern about well contamination; board seeks independent analysis
Summary
A Bristol resident told the Select Board that elevated chloride/bromide levels in recent water tests may be tied to road salt; the board agreed to forward results to state contacts and MMA and to commission independent testing to establish a defensible record.
A Bristol resident described recent private well test results and urged the Select Board to seek further analysis after state and DOT contacts suggested road salt as a likely source of elevated chloride and bromide. The Chair said the town will forward the resident’s results to the state contact and MMA (the town’s insurer) and pursue additional testing.
The resident said conversations with a DOT technician and a state environmental contact (identified in the meeting as Nathan Dufont) led them to suspect road salt contamination; they reported bromide readings “66 to 68 milligrams per liter” in some wells and noted one lab result of 0.4 (discussed during the meeting). “It’s definitely the road salt,” the resident said.
Board members agreed they lack in-house expertise to interpret the samples definitively. One board member recommended the town obtain an independent analysis to create a documented basis for any next steps. The Chair said the town will email copies of the test results to the state contact and MMA and hopes for a response within days.
The resident told the board the cost to replace a failing well had been discussed (previous well work about $16,000; a proposed new well was estimated around $21,000 plus associated expenses). The board discussed timing of any new well work and noted that if a well must be replaced the town would need clear evidence to justify action or assistance.
Next steps: the board directed staff to share the results with the state contact and MMA, consider commissioning a town-funded analysis to confirm the source, and report back at the next meeting. No formal vote was recorded on funding the testing during this session.
