Members of the Cowichan Tribes First Nation on Vancouver Island are relieved to finally have drinkable water coming from their taps, though some members are still going without.

Clean water is a necessity that many in Canada take for granted, but for 20 households on Indian Road in the First Nation on southern Vancouver Island, it’s only recently become accessible.

The houses were connected to the City of Duncan’s clean water supply about a month ago.

Cowichan Tribes member Adrienne Peter says the water from her well was unusable, and she remembers her father filling jugs of water at gas stations for 14 years.

More recently, the family had bottled water delivered to their home.

“Being able to drink from the tap is seriously like a whole change of life for us,” she said.

“When my babies were infants, [we] had to boil the water, let it cool and then fill up their bathtubs so that I could bathe them.”

Peter’s father, Bubba Qwulshemut, says the water that was available to them was foul.

“It tasted like salt, it’s fizzing like pop, it was just horrible,” he said.

“I mean, the kids were getting rashes from the water or mosquito bites would turn rancid.”

It’s estimated that 30 to 35 more homes in the area still don’t have access to clean water through their taps, and there’s no timeline yet on when those homes will be hooked up to a water system.

“We’re the biggest tribe in B.C. and it’s kind of crazy to think about,” said Edward Joe, a harm reduction coordinator for Cowichan Tribes.

“I always tell my friends, family or anyone in the Cowichan Valley here that there’s still tribes members who don’t have access to clean drinking water.”

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August 24, 2022

DURHAM, CONN. (Aug. 24, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash joined Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England Commander and District Engineer Colonel John A. Atilano II, Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD and representatives from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), as well as the City of Middletown’s Mayor Ben Florsheim and representatives from the Town of Durham, to celebrate the completion of nearly 6 miles of waterline that provide a safe, sustainable drinking water supply to properties impacted by the contamination at the Durham Meadows Superfund Site. This project is an example of successful local, state and federal partnership working towards the common goal of addressing the contamination at a Superfund site to protect human health and the environment, while increasing the potential for economic development.

“Today exemplifies the power and potential of environmental partnership,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “After decades of hard work from local, state, and federal partners, as well as additional funding provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we ensured that we all delivered on our promise to Durham. The Town of Durham now has a sustainable, expandable, and, more importantly, safe source of water.”

The nearly 6-mile waterline, that runs from the City of Middletown to the Town of Durham, and a 790,000-gallon water storage tank were installed in response to widespread contamination from industrial activities in Durham Center. The system includes new connections for 119 properties, including Coginchaug High School and Strong Middle School, and provides clean water for the 84 existing customers of the Durham Center Water Service, including the historic Durham Agricultural Fairground.

Waterline construction activities began in September 2019 and Durham was successfully delivered clean, safe drinking water from the City of Middletown on July 18, 2022. A portion of the groundwater and soil cleanup is still ongoing, as well as with some remaining construction work, but EPA expects these aspects of the cleanup to be fully complete in 2023.

The new system has the capacity to support expansion, which will allow the Town of Durham to address other areas of contamination, including the areas that will be targeted by the additional $3,412,455 in Congressional Earmark funding that will be provided to the Town of Durham and managed through EPA’s water program. This funding will provide Durham greater opportunity for economic development now that a reliable source of water is available.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also invested $37.3 million to fund Superfund cleanups in Connecticut. Of that $37.3 million, the Durham Meadows Superfund Site received $4.3 million to address the legacy groundwater and soil contamination at the site.

What They Are Saying

“Today is a momentous day for the people of Durham. Clean safe drinking water is an absolute necessity and for years, the people of Durham Center had to rely on heavy duty filters or bottled water to drink and cook. It is truly wonderful to see a final resolution to a decades long legal battle and environmental cleanup. I thank all of our local, state and federal partners for seeing this project through and providing real relief to the community,” said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

“Local, state, and federal agencies have worked for decades to ensure the people of Durham and Middletown have access to safe, sustainable drinking water, and the finish line is finally in sight. The completion of this project will not only bring clean drinking water to the community, but also create new opportunities for economic growth,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy.

“For decades, the residents and businesses of downtown Durham have struggled with contaminated groundwater issues stemming from the Durham Meadows Superfund Site,” said U.S. Congresswoman and House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro. “I am proud to work with the Town of Durham, the City of Middletown, as well as federal and state agencies to address the critical need of bringing safe, clean drinking water to these homes and businesses. This collaborative effort ensures much needed infrastructure improvements to residents in Middletown – this is about protecting the health and wellbeing of our community. The Durham Waterline Project allows the Town of Durham to extend public water to homes and businesses outside of the Durham Meadows footprint, a project that I supported with more than $3 million in community project funding in this year’s federal spending bill.”

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our technical experts are honored to collaborate with the EPA, Connecticut DEEP, and all the other state and local stakeholders, through countless hours of partnership and hard work, to deliver clean drinking water to the people of Durham, Connecticut,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England Commander and District Engineer Colonel John A. Atilano II. “The EPA and USACE have a very long and successful history together when it comes to environmental cleanup. We appreciate that the EPA entrusts us with projects like Durham Meadows because they know we have experienced professionals with the expertise to manage large projects. I want to thank our Durham Meadows Superfund Team for all of their outstanding work on this important project from start to finish, and we look forward to our continued partnership with EPA on our other ongoing projects.”

“The Connecticut Department of Public Health is delighted to have been part of the multi-jurisdictional team whose efforts culminated in safe water flowing from Middletown to Durham,” said Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “Years ago, movement of the contamination plume in Durham kickstarted concerted efforts to look for a bigger solution. The interconnection, championed by leaders of both towns, is an example of the achievement that remarkable cooperation can bring. It resulted in the successful completion of this complex project involving a large tank and over 5.5 miles of water mains. This project provides public health benefits that will outlast all of us.”

“Ensuring that everyone in Connecticut has a safe supply of drinking water is a critical mission of this agency,” Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “We are so pleased to celebrate with the residents, USEPA, the Department of Public Health, the Town of Durham, and the City of Middletown the completion of the public water connections to all of those who have been impacted by historical pollution releases.”

“Congratulations to the Federal, State and Local team for bringing clean drinking water to Durham, solving a decades-old problem of contamination,” said Town of Durham Selectman George Eames. “This project improves the health and wellness of our residents and increases property values. Many thanks to the many people who have worked on our behalf.”

“The City of Middletown is incredibly proud of our role in this groundbreaking project, which has demonstrated that cooperative regional solutions are often the best approach to solving local problems. While Durham will benefit from clean Middletown water, our whole state and region benefits from the model of partnership that has been established here, and when it comes to collaboration with EPA and our neighboring towns on projects that benefit our residents, I know this is just the beginning,” said City of Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim.

Background

The Durham Meadows Superfund was added to EPA’s National Priorities List for Superfund Sites in 1989 and is located in the Town of Durham, Conn. The site is generally centered around Durham Manufacturing Company (DMC), a currently operating manufacturing facility at 201 Main Street, and the former location of Merriam Manufacturing Company (MMC) at 281 Main Street. The outer limits of the site are defined by the surrounding 100-acre area groundwater contamination. The groundwater in Durham Center was contaminated by the release of chemicals, primarily trichloroethene (TCE) and 1,4-dioxane, into the soil and groundwater at two manufacturing facilities due to past disposal of wastewater in lagoons or sludge drying beds, spills at both facilities, and inadequate drum storage practices. Groundwater contamination was first detected at the Frank Ward Strong Middle School in 1970. Additional investigation revealed widespread contamination in Durham Center, leading to the installation of carbon filters at the properties with contaminated wells. 12 properties were contaminated with 1,4-dioxane that could not be effectively removed by carbon filters and therefore relied on bottled water for potable uses.

EPA identified the need for a new water supply for the contaminated areas in Durham in a 2005 Record of Decision (ROD), which also included cleanup actions to remove contaminated soil from the two contaminated source areas and the need for an area-wide groundwater use restriction. EPA then, in accordance with the polluter-pays concept, implemented enforcement actions that resulted in settlement agreements with both of the companies designated as potentially responsible parties (PRPs) of the contamination by the end of 2013. During that same period, EPA was able to implement the cleanup of the former Merriam Manufacturing Company (one of the PRPs), require a sub-slab depressurization system for the Durham Manufacturing Company (the other PRP), and work closely with its local and state partners to confirm that the neighboring City of Middletown could provide the water supply required to support Durham. EPA developed the design for the cleanup at the Durham Manufacturing Company from 2007 to 2016. In 2015, the Town of Durham passed the “Groundwater Management Zone Ordinance of the Town of Durham” that restricted groundwater use for the area surrounding the Durham Meadows Superfund Site and required connection to the new water system.

Once the agreement with the City of Middletown was established, and EPA confirmed that the city could provide the water supply to support Durham, EPA then focused on the design for new water system to increase the capacity. The new water system design was completed in 2018. Upon the completion of the design, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, hired by EPA, procured a contract to perform the construction of the new water system.

Additional Information

Durham Meadows Superfund Site

Cleaning Up in New England

EPA’s Superfund Program

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24 Aug 2022 — Institutional investors from around the world are joining Ceres in the Valuing Water Finance Initiative, aiming to engage 72 corporate water users and polluters to act on water as a financial risk and drive the necessary large-scale change to protect water systems better. 

As drought plagues many countries and impacts harvests and global supply chains on specific food ingredients and raw materials, calls are being made to step up moves to make companies respond to the worldwide water crisis.

Water stewardship
The new consortium covers US$9.8 trillion in assets.

So far, a long list of key players have signed up, including Nestlé, Unilever, Mondelēz International, the Kraft Heinz Company, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Danone and The Hershey Company. 

According to Ceres, the initiative offers the most comprehensive and ambitious guidelines available to investors while also considering the full suite of water-related issues, from water availability and quality to board oversight and public policy engagement.

A sweltering summer heatwave across Europe recently led to the drying up of crucial waterways.Prioritizing water risk
The initiative stresses fresh water’s essential role in the food and beverage industry and ecosystems.

It provides investors with “tools” to make a case for prioritizing water risk.

The initiative prioritizes a set of six science-based, actionable Corporate Expectations for Valuing Water, which is informed by scientific evidence that aligns with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for Water (SDG6) and supports the aims of the Ceres Roadmap 2030. 

The expectations lay out clear action steps for companies and set the stage for investor engagement focused on collective progress. These include water quantity and how companies do not negatively impact water availability in water-scarce areas across their value chain. 

Companies should not contribute to converting natural ecosystems critical to freshwater supplies and aquatic biodiversity and actively work to restore degraded habitats that their businesses depend upon. 

Businesses should also contribute to the social, economic and ecological resilience of communities they interact with by contributing to achieving universal and equitable access. Meanwhile, corporate boards and senior management must also oversee water management efforts. 

Finally, companies should ensure that all public policy engagement and lobbying activities are aligned with sustainable water resource management outcomes.

Impact of droughts in 2022
With a drought sweeping across the Horn of Africa amid heat waves across the globe this summer, the World Health Organization recently warned of the impact of rising temperatures on breastfeeding rates to protect infant health.

Meanwhile, last week’s sweltering summer heatwave across Europe led to the drying up of crucial waterways, hampering critical trade. One of the most significant passages for agri-food shipments such as grain, the Rhine river, quickly became impassable for barge traffic. In Italy, the Po river was two meters lower than normal.

Last month, an analysis of the prolonged droughts across the EU revealed a significant portion of Europe is now critically exposed to high drought levels – classified as “warning” (44% of EU and UK) and “alert” (9% of EU and UK) – causing historical stress on agricultural farmlands.

“The water crisis is playing out across the US and around the world in many ways, from severe drought and pollution to inadequate access to safe drinking water, all of which disproportionately impact our most vulnerable communities,” says Mindy Lubber, CEO and president of Ceres. 

“The private sector must recognize water’s importance for their institutions and investments lest they further expose themselves and society to increased material water risk. We are grateful to see so many investors signing on to the Ceres Valuing Water Finance Initiative at its launch, but we need more investors to step up and join us in supporting the corporate expectations for valuing water and engaging with the companies they own on water stewardship.”

Edited by Gaynor Selby

The initiative stresses fresh water’s essential role in the food and beverage industry and ecosystems.

To contact our editorial team please email us at
[email protected]

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eThekwini Municipality has advised residents in the Birchwood area to boil their tap water before using it as it is not safe for human consumption.

“The public is advised that water testing has revealed that tap water in the Birchwood area does not meet acceptable standards for human consumption,” said Msawakhe Mayisela, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson.

This alert comes on the back of reports of residents in the area complaining about the water being contaminated.

“Following remedial work done last month to eradicate suspected contamination, the results for water quality in this area has always come out safe for consumption. The City continuously monitored water quality in the area and tests have revealed that potable water is no longer of good quality,” said Mayisela.

City investigating source of contamination

Mayisela said the City was investigating the source of contamination but preliminary observations indicate it could be down to pipeline blockages.

Mayisela stressed that it was only the Birchwood area that is affected and that water in all other areas of eThekwini was safe.

ALSO READ | Msunduzi disputes rumours of water contamination

“In the meantime, the City has dispatched water tankers [to Birchwood]. For tap water, residents are urged to first boil for a minute to make it safe for consumption,” he said.

DA’s oversight inspection in Birchwood

On Tuesday, members of the Democratic Alliance conducted an oversight inspection in Birchwood and the neighbouring area of Greyville.

Yogis Govender, DA’s member in the eThekwini executive committee (Exco), said she had written to Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda to request a special exco sitting to discuss the “unchecked” sewer spillages across the city.

Govender highlighted the recent incidents of hundreds of dead marine life found collecting on the shores of Isipingo beach and Blue Lagoon river this month.

Eleven beaches closed due to E. coli levels

On Monday, the municipality closed 11 of its beaches due to high levels of E.coli being detected in the water.

The DA will be presenting Exco with their report on findings from the three-day oversight visits and other related matters for investigation and demanding urgent remedial action, to this humanitarian and ecological disaster

ALSO READ | eThekwini municipality closes 11 beaches due to E. coli levels

Govender said a formal request has been made for the following issues to be tabled for discussion on Exco: the city’s water crisis, progress on repairs to the sewer systems, an emergency turn around plan and budget, publishing of weekly water results and for WhatsApp communications.

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LAHORE:Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (PAPA) has planned to construct 1000 clean drinking water centres in Punjab during the next two months.

In this regard, an important meeting was held under the chairmanship of Housing Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal here on Tuesday. He said clean drinking water will be provided to the public through water centres. Aslam Iqbal directed PAPA to work on emergency basis to complete these water centres within the stipulated time. He said clean drinking water was the basic right of people. Further, salt water in Punjab will be purified through treatment plants, he said adding providing clean and safe water was one of the top priorities of the present government.

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The newly operational Pure Water Oceanside facility, Photo by Jeremy Kemp

Pure Water Oceanside has been awarded a $9.9 million grant following a recommendation by the office of U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, it was announced Tuesday.

The funding will be awarded via the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART: Title XVI WIIN Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects funding, a statement from the city read. Oceanside is one of 25 applicants named for this funding.

“It is very important to the city that Pure Water Oceanside is affordable for our community,” Oceanside’s Water Utilities Director Lindsay Leahy said. “We have made great strides through the award of multiple grants, loans, and incentive programs through the Bureau of Reclamation, EPA, Department of Water Resources, Metropolitan Water District and the San Diego County Water Authority.

“We are thankful for the continued support from the Bureau of Reclamation,” she added. “This funding helps to ensure Oceanside can continue to develop a cost-effective, reliable, local water supply.”

Through its WaterSMART program, the Bureau of Reclamation provides grants to water districts and communities to “reclaim and reuse wastewater and impaired ground and surface water in the Western United States,” according to the bureau.

Pure Water Oceanside is intended to purify recycled water to create a new local source of drinking water that is clean, safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound. When finished, the project is slated to provide more than 32% of the city’s water supply — between 3 and 5 million gallons per day.

Before the project, the city imported nearly 90% of its drinking water from the Sacramento Bay Delta and the Colorado River. Pure Water Oceanside began operation and testing at the end of 2021, and final construction is expected to be complete at the end of 2022.

It will be the first operating potable reuse project in San Diego County.

–City News Service

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MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the village of Cobb is an applicant for funding through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP) to improve its public drinking water system. The project includes the replacement of watermains on Clifton and School streets in the village of Cobb.

Activities related to this project are minor actions under Chapter NR 150, Wis. Admin. Code, for which no environmental analysis is required; however, following the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program federal requirement 40 C.F.R. §35.3580, an environmental review must be conducted before funding this project.

The Safe Drinking Water Loan Program has determined that the project will not result in significant adverse environmental effects, and no further environmental review or analysis is needed before proceeding with funding the project.

The public is encouraged to submit comments regarding this decision and the potential environmental impacts of this project. Submit comments by Sept. 6, 2022 to:

Department of Natural Resources
C/O Michelle Brietzman, Community Financial Assistance, CF/2
101 S Webster St.
P.O. Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707
[email protected]gov or 608-490-0187

Based on the comments received, the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program may prepare an environmental analysis before proceeding with the funding process. The analysis would summarize the DNR’s consideration of the project’s impacts and reasonable alternatives.

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MID-VALLEY MEDIA

Residents in parts of Sweet Home have been warned not to drink tap water without boiling it first.

A busted water main prompted a boil water warning for part of Sweet Home, according a news release from the city’s Public Works Department issued Monday afternoon, Aug. 22. The broken main, inside the Pleasant Valley Bridge, caused a loss of water pressure in the distribution system, potentially allowing harmful bacteria into the water supply.

The water main was isolated, city officials said, noting that if bacteria is present it could make people sick, with particular concern highlighted for those with weakened immune systems. The Oregon Health Authority requires notification during these types of incidents.

The affected area is the west side of Sweet Home from 10th Avenue to the Strawberry Heights subdivision, and Main Street to Gilbert Lane, including Vista Lane and First Avenue through 10th Avenue.

People are also reading…

Residents should bring water to a rolling boil for a full minute and allow it cool before using. Store the cooled water in a clean container with cover.

Boiled water that has cooled or bottled water should be used for:

• Drinking
• Making ice
• Brushing teeth
• Preparing food and baby formula
• Cleaning food contact surfaces
• Washing fruits and vegetables

The city will inform residents when tests verify the absence of bacteria and the boil water order is no longer necessary. Results are anticipated with around 24 hours.

The water is safe for handwashing, the release states, adding warning is not related to COVID-19 and coronaviruses have not been detected in drinking water.

For more information, go to information www.sweethomeor.gov or contact Dominic Valloni, Public Works Operations Manager at City of Sweet Home, 541-367-6359 or [email protected].

General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by contaminants in drinking water are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or the Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services at 971-673-0405.

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A new pilot program aims to supply homeowners with wells contaminated by nitrates with clean and sustainable water.

KEYES, Calif. — When Martha Lorenzo was told she could get clean drinking water simply by installing some panels and extracting moisture from the air, she was in disbelief.

“I could hardly believe it because I had never heard of such a thing. It was like, what are you going to do? How does it work?” said Lorenzo, whose home sits in an agricultural area near Keyes.

In April, Lorenzo had three solar, hydro panels installed outside her home by the company Source Global, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The panels absorb water vapor pulled from the air.

Connected to a line under a panel and run into her home, she gets about nine to 11 gallons of drinking water every day.

“We’re able to get the water for our cooking, drinking,” Lorenzo said, adding that it’s plenty for the four people that live in her home, which includes two grandchildren.

The water comes from a number of sources including humidity from plants and trees and much more on rainy or foggy days.

“With this technology, we can provide drinking water to any part of the planet that are hard to reach with traditional water lines or having to drink out of a plastic bottle. People can now have a clean source of drinking water at a tap inside their home for the very first time,” said Colin Goddard, vice president of business development in the United States for Source Global.

He says the company has been creating their system since 2014, and that 52 countries have Source Global systems.

Valley Water Collaborative, a non-profit, supplies the system for the Lorenzo household. Instead of supplying countless bottles of water to Lorenzo, Valley Water Collaborative wanted something more sustainable, so they gave Source Global a try.

It’s a pilot project for homeowners whose wells are contaminated by agricultural runoff that includes harmful levels of nitrates. It’s paid for through assessments on growers and others who contributed to the problem.

“If you have contamination in your water, yeah, it is certainly worth considering and it’s a viable option for individuals that are in a contaminated area,” said executive director Parry Klassen. “None of the pollutants that are in the air are taken into the system.”

Klassen says the non-profit is observing the Source Global system for a year. If all goes well, more homes will be added to the pilot program.

Source Global says each panel costs $2,000 and supplies eight gallons of water a day. Lorenzo’s installed three-panel system costs $8,000.

California Drought: Exploring water, drought and La Nina for 2022

ABC10: Watch, Download, Read

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SHARON — As Vermont faces an increasingly unreliable water supply due to climate-change related drought and unpredictable rain and snow events, a new state law requires some farmers to keep records of surface water withdrawals.

Passed by the legislature this year and signed into law by Gov. Scott, Act 135 mandates that farmers withdrawing more than 10,000 gallons of surface water within a 24-hour period, or 150,000 gallons over any 30-day period, annually report their withdrawal amount. 

The state defines surface water, which is used mostly by fruit and vegetable farmers, as: “rivers, streams, creeks, brooks, reservoirs, ponds, lakes.” Farmers that irrigate from groundwater sources or off-stream farm ponds are not subject to the reporting requirements. 

The law was largely put in place so that the Agency of Agriculture could build a body of data to better understand water usage in the state. If a farm exceeds withdrawal limits, compiling the data for the annual report will require keeping daily records of water usage. 

“The bill will provide the framework for collecting as much data as possible for farms,” Ryan Patch, Agriculture, Climate and Land Use Policy Manager at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, said. “It sets a low threshold for reporting to better refine data to help inform future policy development.”

Vermont farms withdrawing surface water are estimated to use around 355 million gallons across the entire state of Vermont, which is equivalent to the lower range of the annual surface water withdrawal by Okemo Resorts in Ludlow, Vermont, according to a presentation given by Patch to the state legislature. Excluding the use of water for thermoelectric power, irrigation accounts for around 4% of total water usage in the state (while snowmaking accounts for around 12%).

“Most farms that need surface water are veggie farms, and the amount of irrigation needed is generally less, or well under, what would be the withdrawal limit,” Patch said, but added that “in planning for climate resilience,” it’s important to compile as much information from water users as possible. The release on the agency’s website states that keeping daily records of surface water usage is “the most simple and straightforward recommendation the agency can give farmers.”

But just because the recommendation is “straightforward,” doesn’t mean that it’s easy, some farmers say. They see the new law as another burden in an already demanding regime of state-related obligations.

 Colemann Colburn, owner of Fresh Roots Farm in Sharon, said that the surface water reporting requirement could cause problems for farmers. 

“These things don’t feel necessarily designed for small farms, which Vermont is based on,” Colburn, who started Fresh Roots in 2011, said. “They talk about issues with young people not wanting to remain in Vermont, and farmers aging out and needing to retire. But how are they encouraging this at all? They’re adding to my workload and to the everyday stress that already exists in farming.”

As dry conditions in the state take their toll on his vegetables, Coleburn shares Patch’s concerns about water variability. “Especially with the changing climate, the way things are going, it’s like quite literally is this trying to drive small farms out of business in favor of larger farms that can report it more easily?”

Each year, Vermont farmers submit a compliance report regarding their adherence to the state’s Required Agricultural Practices, which include strict rules mitigating the impact farming has on water quality and soil health. For this new surface water reporting requirement, University of Vermont’s Cooperative Extension is aiming to get some low cost water meters to farmers, Patch said. But for now, the agency has example recording templates on its website, with blank daily fields for farmers to report information like pump flow rates and irrigation duration.

Norah Lake, owner of Sweetland Farm in Norwich, said that further information about the necessities of the data collection would be helpful.  “We don’t want to just be collecting data for the sake of data,” Lake said. 

She also sees this legislation as a one-size-fits-all attempt at solving a more complex problem.

 “I think it’s one of the things that sets small and large farms apart because oftentimes a larger-scale organic farm, or a factory farm, has the means to hire someone who is entirely focused on that,” Lake said. “And that’s just not an option for us small farmers. It ends up being one more ball that has to be kept in the air.”

 Lake respects the agency’s efforts to design a state-wide climate resilience plan, but has reservations.“One of the dangers is that plans sometimes don’t have as much nuance in them as they should,” she said. 

If a farmer exceeds the withdrawal limit, they are required to file their first annual report by Jan. 15, 2023. 

Frances Mize is a Report for America corps member. She can be reached at 603-727-3242 or [email protected].

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