NEWBURY, N.H. — The Newbury Selectboard has voted to adopt a new septic ordinance aimed at protecting public health and water quality in Lake Sunapee. Newbury is the fourth town in the Lake Sunapee Watershed to take such proactive measures. The ordinance is designed to ensure that septic systems are properly maintained to prevent failures that can harm the local environment and drinking water supplies. The newly adopted ordinance requires regular septic system inspections and pumping every three years, a rule that aligns with similar regulations implemented by other local towns, including Sunapee, Springfield and New London.
Septage from failing septic systems can introduce bacteria, viruses and harmful nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen into the area’s water sources. This contamination leads to the proliferation of harmful cyanobacteria blooms, which pose a significant risk to human health, wildlife and the region’s ecosystem. As a result, Newbury’s new septic ordinance aims to reduce these risks by ensuring all septic systems are properly maintained.
The selectboard’s decision follows a process that began in 2023, when the proposal was first introduced at Town Meeting but was not passed. A Septic Committee was later appointed to refine the proposal, gathering community input at public meetings and working closely with the Lake Sunapee Protective Association (LSPA), which voiced strong support for these regulations. “Failing septic systems are an ongoing threat to our water quality, which directly impacts public health and the environment,” said Elizabeth Harper, LSPA’s executive director. “By adopting these regulations, Newbury is taking critical steps to protect local residents and the Lake Sunapee Watershed.”
LSPA, founded in 1898, is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the environmental integrity of the Lake Sunapee Region, especially its lakes and watersheds, through education, research and collaborative action. For more information, visit lakesunapee.org.
