Our Seacoast waters sustain us and we must sustain them

Feb. 16 — To the Editor:

For over four centuries, our rivers, our Great Bay and coastal waters have helped us build our seacoast economies. We all benefit from freshwaters that supply drinking water, from fish for food and sport, from places to float, motorboat and sail, and from many other ways healthy waters enrich communities.

Our waters appear lovely but looks can be deceiving. Under the surface, sea life is suffering from our pollution. Long-time residents know the peer-reviewed science is true. Too few oysters and fish and too much undesirable algae tell the tale. Unmanaged stormwater damages homes and roads, and reduces property values and development options.

We can help heal our waters and better prepare for floods if we act soon. Some town leaders wish to hire analysts and lawyers to oppose scientists who thoroughly studied our waters for decades. Rather than litigate, others think we should invest in fixing problems, e.g., stormwater management we must do anyway.

This new EPA plan offers towns an option to use stormwater control to meet pollution reduction goals over the next 23 years. We can start with affordable projects that capture a small, important amount of rain, the first ¼ inch. Costs could be shared across Great Bay watersheds using public and private funds.

Cities like Dover can be proud of their sensible use of funds to treat sewage and start to manage stormwater. If we delay further efforts, however, we face increasing costs. Legal arguments cannot return life to our waters or safeguard us from floods.

We can educate ourselves about the EPA plan for the Great Bay and offer constructive suggestions in person at the Feb 19 hearing at the NHDES Office at Pease International Tradeport or in writing by Mar 9. Use this link: https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/draft-great-bay-total-nitrogen-general-permit

Cynthia Walter

Dover