APPENDIX H - CCAMP WATER SUPPLY PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS 



December 1986 Page H-2 



*2 . The State should propose legislation to implement a matching grant 

 program to municipalities identified through the assessment conducted 

 under recommendation #1, to assist them in planning for their transi- 

 tion from private to public water supplies. The grant monies should 

 be used to finance the needed engineering studies to determine what 

 areas should be protected as future well sites. 



Background for Recommendations #1 & #2 : In examining the state of 

 water-supply planning on Cape Cod and particularly in a town such as 

 Eastham with no public-water supplies, it became clear that much sore- 

 ly needed water-supply planning is not occurring at the local level. 

 This is especially true in those towns that rely completely on 

 private-water supplies, which do not have knowledgeable water-supply 

 personnel to voice the need for this kind of planning and spur the 

 town into action. Neither is this kind of planning being encouraged 

 actively enough at the state level. DEQE's regional water-supply 

 staff is involved in the new source approval process only after a 

 potential source has been located by the town. Further, there are no 

 state or federal grant programs for water-supply planning such as 

 exist for wastewater planning. State policy stipulates that local 

 water-supply planning should be funded through the rates charged to 

 water consumers but this policy makes no mention of those towns on 

 private wells with no water-related revenues. 



If town officials know where they will put a public well, if or when 

 it is needed, then the necessary area can be protected through 

 land-use controls or other mechanisms. Water-supply planning is a 

 crucial base upon which other kinds of planning such as zoning should 

 build. The Construction Grants Program, for example, has a difficult 

 time siting treatment plants in towns that have not identified the 

 areas needed for future water-supply sites. (See CCAMP Recommenda- 

 tions on Groundwater Discharge Permit Program and Construction 

 Grants.) Current development pressures, particularly intense on Cape 

 Cod, are precluding future options as areas with prime water supply 

 potential are developed for other purposes. 



COMMENT : DEQE has responded to recommendation #2 by filing a bill 

 for $25,000,000 to provide matching grants to municipalities to identi- 

 fy potential sources of water supply and for $5,000,000 for 

 water-supply master plans. 



*3. DEQE/DWS should increase the technical assistance it provides to towns 

 regarding water supply planning and protection through the following 

 means : 



a. DEQE/DWS should utilize the new source approval process to edu- 

 cate local officials as to the variety of mechanisms available 



