Windham committee hears infrastructure update: Rt 111 study closed, town water-line option stalls

Windham — The Windham Economic Development Committee on June 5 received reports from its Infrastructure subcommittee and Select Board liaison about transportation and water issues affecting the town.

Heath Partington, the Select Board liaison to the WEDC, reported that the Nashua Road Field well 'fracking' and paving for the Rogers Field parking lot were approved by the Select Board. Partington said Town procedures are being reviewed with the Town Administrator and that drought conditions prompted the Select Board to approve watering restrictions.

Infrastructure subcommittee chair Gary Garfield told the committee that the New Hampshire Department of Transportation Rt 111 study PAC comment period is now closed and that a town water-contamination lawsuit shows no meaningful progress. Garfield reported that the NHDES proposal to extend a water line has dead-ended because the Town has not shown interest in matching grant requirements. He said the Town has installed at least 40 point-of-entry water-treatment systems and has received reimbursement for them; grant money remains available but the town has declined to provide the required local match.

Payal Ballaya, the Planning Board liaison, urged that the town study groundwater levels more comprehensively and noted grants are available to support investigations.

Why it matters: water supply and infrastructure decisions can affect public health, development feasibility, and future costs to taxpayers. The committee discussed the trade-offs between minimizing near-term taxpayer impacts and planning for longer-term infrastructure needs; no formal townwide water-line decision was taken at the meeting.

Next steps: committee members recommended further study of groundwater levels and continued coordination with the Select Board and Town Administrator on drought responses and any future grant opportunities.