Officials say Lebanons tested interconnection is insufficient; board urges study completion

Lebanon staff and water officials told the Planning Board that existing interconnections to neighboring systems currently do not provide enough capacity to serve as a full backup supply. The only recently tested connection delivers roughly 500 gallons per minute; staff said average daily demand exceeds that amount.

The board heard that the state has required the city to study backup supplies following droughts and algal blooms. The feasibility study (grant-funded portion $30,000 plus a $15,000 city match) will quantify how much water could be delivered through interconnections with Hanover and Hartford, what treatment or pumping upgrades would be needed, and whether the staged approach could meet average- and peak-day demand. A water official summarized the status: "We already know what would happen on Medical Center Drive. The interconnection that Rod just built, it's about 500 gallons a minute. It's almost exactly 500 gallons a minute." Board members said the city should expedite the study and plan for funding options if upgrades are required; staff said the study should be complete by late fall to early winter and that major capital costs (a new well and treatment) could be on the order of millions of dollars.