Village of Wells River

Urgent Notice to All Village Water System Customers

Request for Voluntary Water Conservation Measures

 

Due to a spill of fuel oil in the vicinity of the Village’s well (our only water source) there is a high potential for the well to be contaminated. In response, the Village will be discontinuing the use of the well starting on Monday, July 21, 2025, will commence bulk water hauling, using tankers to truck water from the Woodsville Fire District to the Village’s storage tank. This operation will be very costly, and for this reason the Village Trustees are respectfully requesting that all water customers attempt to limit water usage during this emergency condition.

Your cooperation is important and all users are urged, wherever possible, to defer activities which may use large amounts of water like filling swimming pools, watering lawns and gardens, and washing vehicles and paved surfaces (such as sidewalks, patios, driveways, parking areas, etc.) until the bulk hauling operations are stopped.  We would also encourage users to repair all leaks from indoor or outdoor plumbing fixtures and report any surfacing water or unusually wet places within the area to the Village Office.

The contamination is an issue that is expected to impact the ability to use our well for an extended time, possibly years. The Village is proceeding with actions to provide a longer-term, but still temporary solution of filtering the existing well water with granular activated carbon, a technology that will remove all compounds related to the spill. The Village is also proceeding with actions to search for and drill a new well source that could possibly replace the existing well. Both of these options will take time to plan and implement, hence the need for bulk hauling in the immediate term, which may extend through the end of the year.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call 802-757-3401 or stop by at the next Village Trustees meeting, we meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month at 4pm at the Village Office (15 Creamery Street).

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. With these voluntary restrictions, we hope to reduce the truck hauling costs while continuing to provide a sufficient supply of water for normal household use during this period and we hope to avoid any interruptions in service.