Valley News – Towns require septic maintenance to protect Lake Sunapee

SUNAPEE — Lake Sunapee watershed towns are taking a new approach to protecting their beloved lake and other water bodies; requiring residents to regularly maintain their septic systems.

Since 2023, every town bordering Lake Sunapee — except for Newbury, N.H., where the Selectboard will vote on a proposed ordinance in February — has introduced regulations requiring residents to pump their septic systems at least once every three years and have them regularly inspected.

The ordinances in Sunapee, Springfield, N.H., New London and Newbury vary only slightly from town to town and they are very clear about one thing;

They were established to protect the water quality of lakes, streams and groundwater in each town and to prevent toxic cyanobacteria blooms.

Outside of the Lake Sunapee watershed, other towns in the Upper Valley and different watersheds across New Hampshire have adopted similar ordinances, such as Enfield, which passed a septic ordinance in November to protect Mascoma Lake.

“It’s pretty straightforward what we’re trying to achieve; we’re trying to reduce the nutrients that are entering our waterway,” Elizabeth Harper, executive director of the Lake Sunapee Protective Association, said in a phone interview Friday.

The effort was spearheaded by the association, which is also known as LSPA, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Lake Sunapee region and its lakes and ponds.

The association began by approaching the Town of Sunapee, the first in the area to adopt regulations in 2023.

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The Springfield Selectboard adopted septic regulations in November 2024 and New London followed in December.

Most recently, Springfield’s regulations went into effect Jan. 1.

“Everything in the watershed ultimately drains into our groundwater, streams, and lakes. Any leaking or failing septic system regardless of proximity to our lakes can have a negative impact on water quality. This is a community issue that requires all residencies to participate,” the Springfield regulation reads.

In Springfield, the health officer and Selectboard decided to work on a regulation after being approached by the LSPA and by representatives from the other three towns, Health Officer Tim Bray said via email Monday.

The town was encouraged to follow in others’ footsteps because there has been “a lot of recent published literature” about water quality and septic systems and because there have been noticeably more instances of cyanobacteria in the towns’ lakes.

On Little Lake Sunapee last summer, there were two instances of cyanobacteria that caused the New London’s Bucklin Beach to close, Bray added.

While Springfield residents across town are encouraged to pump their septic systems at least every three years, the ordinance only requires proof of pumping and inspection every three years for properties within 250 feet of eight protected water bodies in the town or within a 660-foot wetland buffer zone around the McDaniels Marsh.

The regulation also clarifies that some properties, especially those with short-term rental units, might be required to pump more frequently.

The town is still compiling a database of properties, but Bray estimates that about 150 are impacted.

Sunapee’s rules also only apply to properties within 250 feet of the shoreline.

In comparison, New London residents with septic systems town wide are required to have them pumped and inspected at least every three years.

All three towns have exceptions that extend the requirement up to six years.

“I would argue that any drop of water in any place in the landscape, that water’s going somewhere,” New London Health Officer Nick Baer said in a December meeting of the decision to apply the ordinance town wide.

While some residents support the ordinance as a way to protect the lakes, residents in several towns have been skeptical of the new ordinances and raised frequent concerns about how necessary they are.

In Newbury, a proposal to put together a regulation was voted down by residents at the 2024 town meeting with people questioning how the ordinance would be regulated and enforced and saying that many details still needed to be clarified, according to meeting minutes from the Town of Newbury.

The town is now proposing a new regulation that will be voted on by the Selectboard and requires septic tanks to be pumped every three years town wide, and once a year for properties with short-term rental units.

During two January public hearings this year, residents continued to ask questions about what the draft ordinance covers and how it will be enforced.

They also raised concerns about the cost of pumping, according to meeting minutes from Jan. 9 and Jan. 23.

In New London, residents also questioned if the regulations are necessary, arguing that the Selectboard and Health Department have not done enough work to identify if this is a real issue in the town, and raised concerns about the cost.

“The question is, is it something that needs to be a regulation?” New London resident Phillip Brown asked in a December meeting. “Once you make something a regulation, suddenly the cost of pumping goes up.”

There are many factors that contribute excessive nutrients to the lake, but leaks from septic systems are “very preventable” and addressing them can help limit one of the “known” sources, Harper said.

This is because other stressors include runoff from around the watershed that is harder to identify and regulate.

Based on data and modeling, the LSPA estimates that between 8% and 9% of the phosphorus coming into the lake is from failing septic systems.

“If people are maintaining their septic systems as they should be, the input into the lake will be really minimal,” Harper said.

The cost of replacing a septic system that has not been properly maintained is higher than having the system regularly inspected and pumped, Harper added.

Septic system maintenance, such as pumping and inspection, costs between $250 and $500, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, while replacing or repairing a system can cost between $5,000 and $15,000 for a “conventional system.”

Regular maintenance can help keep a system functional and identify problems early.

Prior to these regulations, homeowners only had to adhere to New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, or DES, requirements that new septic system plans be approved by the Department.

When septic systems fail, they release nutrients and pathogens into the lake. These harm water quality and can cause toxic cyanobacteria blooms, according to DES.

The bacteria can be dangerous for humans and animals, and when blooms occur the DES recommends that people and pets avoid contact with the water. Blooms affect the economy by limiting what can be done on the lakes and diminishing their appeal.

When discussing the septic policy and other lake preservation initiatives, Harper said she also tries to underscore the economic impact.

The economic value of Lake Sunapee is about $4.3 billion based on property values, tourism and infrastructure, according to a 2022 assessment by Dartmouth’s Rockefeller Center for Public Policy.

The LSPA finds that property values and tourism are tied to clean surface waters.

The blooms have also become more frequent in recent years, causing public concern.

In addition to runoff from failing septic systems, other contributors to excessive nutrients in the lake include: sand, road salt and debris on roads; increased development that disturbs soil and clears trees; chemicals used to treat lawns, and pet waste left on the ground, according to the LSPA’s watershed assessment.

“… There are so many stressors on our lake right now that are leading to cyanobacteria,” Harper said.

Clare Shanahan can be reached at [email protected] or 603-727-3216.

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