This is a letter originally sent to The Millbrook Times, and is reprinted here with the author's permission......


While it is undoubtedly very useful for the experts to predict, extrapolate and hypothesize about the water needs of the entire proposed Millbrook and Fraserville development over the next twenty, fifty and one hundred years, I put more faith in reality.
The reality is that after a three day test on the Millbrook artesian springs targeted for supplying the Fraserville development with water, Mrs. Challice's and sons' artesian spring on Huston St. ran dry and Mr. and Mrs. Farrow's artesian spring on George St. was significantly compromised. Apparently a one hundred day study is usual to understand the impact of rerouting a water source. Perhaps the experts saw that this wasn't necessary. When Mr. Farrow asked hydrologist John Euston at the meeting of Sept. 9 if Mr. Farrow's artesian spring would recover if development went ahead in Fraserville Mr. Euston indicated that it was unlikely.
The reality is that we have just come through two of the wettest years on record and so water levels have been at their highest as would be expected. However, we have had almost no precipitation in the month of September. I would expect no drop in water level in our pond that has an artesian spring in the bottom. However, the pond has dropped two feet in the past month. (This drop is easily seen and measured along the shoreline.) The spring-fed creek that flows into and out of this in-stream pond has dropped six inches in depth (again easily seen and measured along the banks as well as by measuring the depth of the water.)
We bought our property that included this pond and creek in 1978. Between then and now there have been six or seven drought summers when water levels dropped significantly (eg. a drop of approximately three feet in the driest years). This fluctuation in water quantity due to climate change and the water losses experienced by the Challices and Farrows lead me to believe that our excellent, pristine, irreplaceable groundwater is not as immune to depletion as the experts are saying! Certainly far more study needs to be done, for example: drop in quantity can cause drop in quality as well.
I live one half km. southwest of the village of Millbrook. I insist upon keeping my excellent water in my dug well and in my pond and stream. Contrary to what has been voiced by a few people, there are many people in the Millbrook area and indeed throughout the township who have, wells, ponds, streams and artesian springs. These water sources factored into the purchase price of the propetrties if they were bought and they certainly affect the value of the property at the time of sale! I am sure that not many of these property holders would like to lose these water sources or to have them significantly diminished. Those of us living outside of the village of Millbrook I'm sure do not want to be forced to buy chlorinated water from the township!!!
Our Millbrook water is uniquely excellent and needs to be protected. If you have your own Millbrook groundwater on your property or if you avail yourself of the free artesian spring groundwater on Kind St. please support the cause of the historical and environmental conservancy of this fabulous natural resource - our Millbrook water!


Sincerely,
Susan Petch