Work to replace and create a new connection to one of the town’s three municipal wells will begin at the end of this month.
Peterborough’s municipal water system relies on three wells: The North well, Tarbell well and Summer Street well.
The Summer Street well is currently not operating at capacity, with a flow of about 50-75 gallons per minute, when it should be working at 300 gallons per minute.
Town Administrator Rodney Barlett told the board that work on the well will begin in the last week of October with the well coming back on Nov. 21.
“At that point, hopefully we will have additional water available and take pressure off the two municipal wells that have carried us through most of the summer,” said Bartlett.
Bartlett informed the board that without a significant amount of rain events before the ground freezes for the winter, Peterborough will continue to experience drought conditions through the winter.
Selectmen asked Bartlett if they should maintain the outdoor water ban in effect for Peterborough, considering some recent rain events.
Barlett responded that while the rain is good for lawns and other foliage, it is not doing enough to effectively offset the large water deficit, noting that streams and farm ponds, indicators of the water table, are still very low.
As the region enters fall, there is a decreased need for outdoor water for lawns anyway, said Bartlett, and he recommended keeping the ban in place.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com.