Utility district sets second public info session on Waterworks land use
March 10, 2026 | By Lisa ScagliottiThe Edward Farrar Utility District Board of Commissioners will hold a second public information session on March 19 to continue sharing information and collecting public feedback about land use issues regarding the Waterworks property it owns in the northern section of Waterbury and just over the town line in Stowe.
Ben Montross, Deputy Director of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Drinking Water and Ground Water Protection Program, shares slides at the Dec. 11 EFUD info session about the history and uses of the Waterworks property. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
The board held an initial meeting on the issue on Dec. 11 in which district officials outlined the history of the property, which serves as a key source of drinking water for Waterbury. State officials shared details regarding legal issues and regulatory requirements for public water systems. Discussion focused on balancing public uses such as recreational activities on the property and protecting the water resource.
Utility district leaders are holding the sessions to highlight issues that will inform public policy regarding the use of the land for both drinking water and public activities such as recreation.
Last summer, the utility district took action to close access to trails in the vicinity of the Earle P. Towne Water Treatment Plant on Barnes Hill Road. The Waterworks property covers nearly 500 undeveloped and largely forested acres, with about 50 acres in Waterbury and the rest on the Stowe side of the town boundary line.
During the summer, department staff discovered illegal trail-building activity on the property where trees were cut down in an effort to clear trails that local residents have been using for years for hiking, hunting, winter skiing and more recently for mountain biking. The trail activity was not permitted by the utility district, which runs Waterbury’s municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities. The area’s growing popularity, coupled with the unsanctioned tree-cutting and trail work, has raised concerns about potential environmental impacts of increased activity on the land that could ultimately affect water quality.
District commissioners have discussed the need to address the issue with a policy that aims to balance protecting the environment as a vital source of water for the community while acknowledging its appeal to local residents who would like to frequent the property.
The upcoming meeting will cover additional issues that the commission and the public may consider as the commission works to create a public policy regarding land use for the Waterworks. The March 19 session will include presentations on the natural resources value of the watershed, how PFAS chemicals can contaminate water sources, and some approaches that other water authorities in the state and region have taken with respect to recreational uses of in watersheds.
District officials say they hope to schedule a third public session later in the spring to hear from conservationists, local organizations that represent recreational users, EFUD water customers and the public in general. Afterward, EFUD commissioners and staff will draft a policy on the uses of the watershed lands. This work will be conducted during the commission’s regular monthly meetings. Any policy recommendations will be made available for public review and input before they are adopted.
In scheduling this latest public meeting, the commissioners note that the deliberative process can be long and slow, and they appreciate the public’s patience as they work on this issue.
The March 19 meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Main Street fire station. No parking is allowed at the station.
Find more information on the EFUD website here. Contact the district commission with an email to WaterWorks@WaterburyVT.com. ORCA Media recorded the Dec. 11 public information session. Find that recording here.