Wells River faces water crisis as winter approaches

WELLS RIVER, Vt. (WCAX) — Tensions are flaring in Wells River over the village’s water supply after officials said the town could be out of water by the time it snows. But the drought is not to blame.

For the past several months, Wells River has been trucking in 30,000 gallons of water a day to the village’s reservoir, which sits on a hill just above Main Street.

The daily routine was sparked by an oil spill last January near the municipal well. “Our well was turned off in July due to the fact that we could be potentially pulling an oil plume towards it,” said Wells River Village Trustee Erik White

A groundwater monitor was installed near the existing well, and officials have been working with the state to come up with a long-term fix. The temporary water supply will not be trucked in much longer due to the location of the reservoir.

“It’s a very steep hill, it is going to get icy, it is going to get muddy, and truckers have said from day one, as soon as winter weather hits, we will not drive that hill,” White said.

More than 200 homes and businesses in Wells River are hooked up to the water system. Glenda Hofmann owns Copies and More on Main Street. “I live in town also, along with having the business, so it’s like, okay, what am I going to do at my residence?” she said.

The village is considering two short-term options to get through the winter — a temporary holding tank below the reservoir, or reverting back to the old well.

“I guess we just have to wait and see what the final outcome is going to be, but hopefully we don’t have to wait until the end of the year when we don’t have any water,” Hofmann said.

Robert Welsh, a Wells River landlord who owns 22 apartments, said his tenants will be displaced if the water runs out. “Anyone who could do math knew it was coming to a head a long time ago,” Welsh said. “Don’t wait until November or October to figure out what you have to do because now in winter you got a real problem.”

Village officials say state regulations have delayed a new well being dug. But they are also assuring community members that the water will be flowing this winter.

“We will never let this village run out of water. We will work tirelessly to make sure water continues to flow through everybody’s pipes,” White said.

Village trustees have until October 15th to submit their action plan to the state. The big unknown at this time is how much that plan will cost.

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