Business development requires a safe and plentiful water supply…
Epping is growing fast, especially in attracting new businesses to the busy route 125/101 
intersection. This growth occurred in part due to the availability of municipal water and sewer services. The development of these services is part of the town’s business development plan. As a result of their success in attracting businesses, town planners recognized that additional water sources were necessary. Due to Environmental Protection Agency and State regulations that ensure safe drinking water, this is often times a very long process.
The History
Several years ago the town purchased land and started drilling wells to support incoming businesses. Several of these wells deliver over 200 gallons per minute (gpm). As the process worked its way through the regulatory process, the town began to experience water shortages during the summer. The old well field didn’t keep up with demand. New wells were in order.
Final approval for the new wells passed in the winter/spring of 2016. It was the town’s desire to have the new wells online by the end of May to meet the summer demand. However, even though the wells were approved for use, the wells tested with arsenic. So, treatment for that serious health concern had to be approved, which would slow everything down. A full-scale 400 gpm system, which could handle this treatment, takes years to approve and build. The town decided to attempt to build a smaller system in six months to meet the summer demand. They also needed it to be used for several years until a full scale system could be built.
Well, it’s not that easy.
The Challenge
The engineers necessary to design a 400 gpm system were not familiar with the components that could be used in a 100 gpm system, which is the size that could be built in a few months. Those familiar with the 100 gpm components did not have the necessary credentials to design the system for Department of Environmental Services (DES) approval. Secondwind bridged that gap.
The Solution
Secondwind was already the preferred vendor for the town of Epping. We worked other projects with their construction engineer in the past. And even though we had never worked directly with the design engineers, Hoyle, Tanner, and Associates, we know each other from our attendance at and involvement in the NH Water Works Association. We also are well known by the engineers at DES that would review and approve the design.
After several meetings and revisions of the design, our team of certified water specialists helped develop a design that was acceptable to DES, met the State and EPA rules, and could be built in months, not years. This system will provide the Town with a enough additional water to prevent shortages.
The Future
As growth in the area continues, the new well field will be fully developed to deliver enough water to service current as well as future businesses. The system currently serves over 500 connections and over 1200 people every day. The town will have a more than adequate supply of healthy water.
