Enfield passes drinking water protection law

On Jan. 12, Enfield’s Town Board voted to pass a local law that is intended to help ensure access to drinking water for residents while also being fair to developers.

The law was drafted by the Town of Enfield Water Protection Committee, with help from the New York Rural Water Association (NYRWA), using data from the United States Geological Survey’s Aquifers and Groundwater study (tinyurl.com/ybmhg5vx).

Work on the revisions to the law began in September 2020, when the town began working on it with NYRWA, after having formed the Water Protection Committee at the start of the year. After Steven Winkley of the NYRWA helped the town draft the law, the Planning Board, the Town Board and the town attorney reviewed it.

The law’s goal is to ensure that residents and businesses have access to sustainable drinking water now and in the future by protecting water sources from contamination and overuse while balancing the rights of landowners with those of the community as a whole.

Stephanie Redmond, supervisor of the town of Enfield, explained that the law, which requires site plan approval of any project using more than 1,000 gallons of water per day, is not meant to stop development.

“The point of this is that it would give our Planning Board and our Town Board the opportunity to review projects like this and determine whether they’re an appropriate development in our town,” Redmond said. “If they are appropriate, then I think it would be easy for them to move through. But if it’s something that would be detrimental to our water quality in the area, then it allows us an option to stop that sort of development from coming into Enfield.”

Winkley gave a brief presentation about the proposed law. He explained that it adds requirements for applicants who are working on non-residential and non-agricultural building applications and gives the Planning Board additional criteria to use to decide whether to approve or ask for more information on projects that relate to drinking water.

“In a nutshell, that’s what this law does,” Winkley said. “I understand that there’s the possibility of some additional site plan review changes down the line, but I think that the committee board members view that it’s important to get this in place now, and then that can be incorporated. Perhaps some additional things can be done when there’s comprehensive changes to the site plan review law if that happens.”

The board held a public hearing on the water law at 6 that evening, half an hour in advance of the usual meeting start time. Nancy Spero, chief of the Water Protection Committee, spoke in favor of the law, describing it as proactive rather than reactive in that it anticipates future problems and that its requirements for developers are not overly difficult to meet.

“To me, it’s a perfect balance of helping protect the town, helping the town keep a vision of what they want to do but also not being so onerous in terms of regulations that stop everything from happening,” Spero said. “I’m very much in support of this.”

Spero moved to Enfield in 2000 and has been involved with Enfield Neighbors for Safe Air and Water since 2011. She said she joined after being concerned about the possible effects hydrofracking could have on Enfield’s water supply. She said it is important to protect Enfield’s water supply since Enfield has no municipal water and its residents rely entirely on their wells.

“I think it’s a good start at making sure that we’re aware that when certain development activities happen in the town, that the town can weigh in on whether this is something that’s keeping with the needs of the town,” Spero said.

Redmond’s only concern about the law is that the town is unable to regulate agricultural developments, which fall under the purview of New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets regulations. She said that this has not been an issue so far, but agriculture is becoming more and more industrialized, and the law cannot address any possible problems that may arise for the water supply.

Midway through the regular meeting, the board unanimously passed a negative State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) determination for the water protection law, which confirms that the law will not have any significant negative impact on the environment.

Robert Lynch, a member of the board, proposed an amendment that he had written up revising Section 5, Paragraph 7 by requiring Planning Board approval of site plans that involve a projected use of 4,000 gallons of water per day, up from 1,000 in the original version of the law. The board ultimately voted against Lynch’s amendment.

“We already had a hearing tonight,” Lynch said. “And at that hearing, everybody, with unanimity, supported the law. Now, this was a group of five or six people, and we didn’t hear a single opponent of this water law, so I will vote for it tonight.”

Redmond said that protecting Enfield’s water is most important to her and hopes other towns will work with NYRWA to protect their water.

“Water is our most precious resource, and I feel like it’s becoming increasingly threatened,” Redmond said. “I have concerns about both the quantity and quality of water for future generations.”

In brief:

Enfield quilting session

The Enfield Community Council will hold quilting sessions to make a quilt for the Harvest Festival on Sundays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Enfield Community Center, 162 Enfield Main Rd. Both sewers and non-sewers are welcome to contribute, and participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas. Masks and social distancing are required.

For more information, go to tinyurl.com/y7z6leme.

Beginning sewing lessons with Ann Rider

Ann Rider will teach weekly sewing lessons at the Enfield Community Council from 10 a.m. to noon on Sundays. Participants must be in fourth grade or older, and everyone is welcome. Masks and social distancing are required.

For more information, go to tinyurl.com/yd9dpn5e.

Danby Town Board to meet

The Danby Town Board will hold its regular monthly meeting Feb. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m.

For more information or the Zoom link, go to danby.ny.gov/event/town-board-meeting/.

Danby church holds food pantry

The Danby Community Church will hold a food pantry at the church from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 17. For more information, visit danby.ny.gov/event/danby-food-pantry-5/.