Water, Wastewater, and Housing: A Webinar Series
The ability to safely access water and process and dispose of wastewater is a necessary component of all housing — whether through a private well and septic system or a larger municipal operation.
Communities big and small are grappling with how to maintain, or even add, water and wastewater capacity in order to address our region’s longstanding housing crisis.
This virtual series brings together experts on the topic as well as offers case studies on different approaches to water and wastewater management from communities across Vermont and New Hampshire. All sessions are open to anyone who is interested.
Hosted by Vital Communities with support from NH Housing.
Session 1: An Overview
Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 4:30-6 pm
This session offers an overview of how water/wastewater infrastructure is a part of housing, focusing on examples of housing projects, big and small, with and without access to municipal water/sewer. Speakers were Andrew Winter, Executive Director, Twin Pines Housing; Jonah Richard, Owner, Village Ventures; Noah Hodgetts, Principal Planner at New Hampshire Office of Planning & Development, speaking on the NH Zoning Atlas water/sewer overlay; and Bruce Douglas from the VT Department of Environmental Conservation.
Session 2: Upgrading or Expanding Municipal Water/Sewer Facilities
Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 4:30-6 pm
This session looks at communities with municipal water and wastewater and how they have expanded or upgraded their infrastructure to accommodate additional housing. It will address funding sources for these projects and will examine case histories. Speakers were Peterborough, NH, Assistant Town Administrator Seth MacLean; Woodstock, VT, Town Manager Eric Duffy; Ben Frost, President of Proactive Development, RI Housing; Jaffrey, NH, Town Manager Jon Frederick; and Bruce Douglas from the VT Department of Environmental Conservation.
Session 3: Creative Options When There Isn’t Municipal Water/Sewer
Wednesday, May 7, 4:30-6 pm
This session looks at options for meeting the water/wastewater needs of new housing when municipal water and sewer is not available. What alternatives exist to having to provide a separate well and septic system for each new housing unit? Topics will include soil-based lot sizing (an approach for determining permitted housing density), shared water/septic arrangements, and innovative treatment methods, as well as case studies of each. Speakers were Sarah Marchant, COO & Senior Vice President of ROC-NH; Cathy Furtek Conway, Vice President of Municipal Operations, Horizons Engineering; Alex Torpey, former Hanover town manager and founder of Rethink Local; and and Bruce Douglas from the VT Department of Environmental Conservation and Ted Diers and Dale McConkey from the NH Department of Environmental Services.