Part 2: Residents Say Nstar Could Have Compromised Town Water Supply

Editor's Note: We are covering Wednesday's two-hour discussion with Nstar in three parts. This second part addresses protections and testing for the town water supply. Part 1 addressed individual mitigation for residents affected by clear-cutting. Part 3 will publish Saturday and will address Nstar's plans for herbicide usage.

Residents spoke up Wednesday night to insist Nstar address potential contamination and damage to the town's water supply resulting from clear-cutting and heavy equipment in the Meadowview wellhead area.

Nstar has recently clear-cut a right-of-way under its transmission lines running through Wayland's Oak Hill Road and Meadowview Road neighborhood. The town's Meadowview Well was in the path of the clear-cutting.

Tom Sciacca, a founder of WaylandWells.com, a group comprised of former members of the now-dissolved Wellhead Protection Committee, said the deforestation around the Meadowview well had left the town's water supply unprotected.

Prior to Nstar's clear-cutting in the right-of-way, trees and other vegetation had "screened and fenced, effectively" the restricted area around the well, Sciacca said. Now that the vegetation has been removed, "the gate that remains there is basically a joke," he said.

In fact, deforestation of the area is a major concern not just because of the lack of barrier, but because of the change it creates to the run-off patterns and filtration of the water in the collection area, Sciacca explained.

In addition to the deforestation, Sciacca said Nstar's storage of heavy equipment in the wellhead area, as well as that equipment traversing the restricted area and the underground structures that service it, are also issues of concern.

"Heavy equipment drips contaminants ... it's the nature of the beast," Sciacca said, showing images of fluid-stained mats on the ground near the wellhead. "Heavy equipment drips stuff. They don't belong in a wellhead area."

He said he is concerned the equipment could have damaged the town-owned pipes and servce buildings in the wellhead area. Sciacca said the asphalt leading into the area suffered damaged.

WaylandWells.com provided a document at the meeting that outlined the potential damage and contamination to the area as well as its suggested response from Nstar.

"Nstar should pay to evaluate the damage to Wayland's assets and fund any repairs needed and keep herbicides out of the Meadowview Well capture zone," the document reads.

Sciacca added that the group also wants Nstar to re-plant the area in order to help control erosion and recreate the natural barrier to the drinking water supply area.

Editor's Note: The final paragraph has been altered to clarify the area at issue.