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Plans and Regulations
Groundwater
Protection Overlay District
The town of Exeter has established
a GWOL Zoning District that
outlines the outer boundary of the groundwater recharge
areas throughout the town. In this district, the zoning
ordinances have established higher performance
and design standards for any land development.
These regulations promote the protection of the underlying
groundwater by having stricter regulations
on the storage of any hazardous waste on site, and by
requiring a higher standard for waste water. In this
area, waste water must be specially treated to remove
50% of the nitrogen content before standard treatment.
In addition, a groundwater protection plan is required
and must address hazardous materials and petroleum
product management and waste management.
Land
Development Regulations Established to Protect Water
Quality
- No disturbance of soil within
100 ft. of outer edge of any wetland or alteration
of the wetland itself is allowed by the state's, "Freshwater
Wetlands Act."
- A stormwater runoff and erosion
control plan that is consistent with RIDEM's,
"RI Stormwater Runoff and Erosion and Sediment
Control Handbook," is required so that
runoff will not adversely affect surface water or
groundwater quality.
- Wastewater disposal must be located
in accordance with, "RIDEM
regulations."
Other
Zoning Districts created to reduce any adverse impacts
to water quality
There have been many zoning changes
made since the adoption of Exeter's Future Land Use
Plan by the town's local Comprehensive Plan from 1994.
- Conservation/Recreation
(CR-5 acre): district
was established to have low-density residential areas
mixing naturally with recreational uses on the remaining
buildable land overlying the three
groundwater aquifers of Exeter. For example, land
overlying the Chipuxet was originally zoned Light
Industrial and has been changed since the creation
of this district.
- Open
Space and Public Land (OS/PL): districts
were established to identify state lands and other
lands held for recreation, conservation and public
access purposes. This district is now located on the
majority of the Wood aquifer and on approximately
half of the Queens aquifer. Presently, none of the
land above the Chipuxet aquifer is part of this district.
Further recommendations
made by Exeter's
Comprehensive Plan for water quality protection:
- Wastewater
Management Districts
- Well head
Protection Standards
- Plans
for land acquisition within the groundwater recharge
area
- Plans
for Educational program on conservation and on-site
system maintenance
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