Center‑triangle private well testing ongoing; committee will ask town attorney about rental obligations

Staff reported that 51 private wells in the center triangle have been sampled as part of a town testing program; laboratory results and analysis are expected to start returning in roughly eight weeks. The town will process reimbursements to participants in August.

Committee members said response among rental property owners was lower than hoped and noted that canvassing found tenants in some units who had not been notified or whose landlords did not arrange the free testing. Members discussed whether the town could require rental properties to demonstrate potable (portable) water as part of the rental‑registration process, or at minimum require disclosure of test results to tenants. One committee member described the current legal interpretation as that landlords must provide a "healthy environment," which has been read to include potable water in some cases, and recommended the committee ask the town attorney to clarify the municipal code and state obligations.

The committee asked staff to prepare an email to the town attorney to: (1) confirm whether state law and local code require landlords to provide potable water; (2) define "portable water" for enforcement purposes; and (3) identify reasonable testing intervals or mitigation steps (for example, required filtration systems) if a rental property’s water is not potable. Members said they will await the attorney's guidance before drafting any formal code change or registration requirement.