Salem is considering a deal with Manchester Water Works to buy over a million gallons of water per day for residents in Salem and nearby towns.
The deal would be part of the proposed Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Interconnection Project, which would route water from Lake Massabesic, near Manchester, through a pipe that would be built with existing state money along Route 28.
Salem Selectman Robert Bryant says Salem's major local water source, Lake Canobie, has suffered from recent droughts and can't meet the demand of a growing population.
“We typically in a summertime will go through 2.5 to 3 million gallons in a day ,” he says. “We need to get that from other places other than Canobie, or there won't be a Canobie Lake.”
That demand is about to increase with Tuscan Village, a 2.5-million-square-foot development of restaurants, offices, and apartments.
The deal with Manchester Water Works would cost over $5,355,000, which would be paid for largely through bonds. Salem voters will decide on whether to pursue this on March 12th.
