According to a Gallup Poll conducted in March of 2009, pollution of drinking water is Americans' #1 environmental concern, with 59% saying that they worry "a great deal" about the issue.

Water is a non-renewable resource. According to the National Academies' Water Information Center, 70% of the Earth is covered in water, but less than 1 percent is available as freshwater for human use.

According to their website, "Water is one of those things that people usually take for granted—until it is either gone or unsuitable to drink. In 2007, residents in the southeastern United States were forced to take notice of water when extreme drought swept across the region. With no rain clouds on the horizon for months on end, lawns were shriveling and long-standing reservoirs were being sucked dry. Restaurants began using paper plates to avoid having to wash dishes. In Athens, Georgia, fans at the University of Georgia's homecoming football game were asked not to flush the toilets: stadium attendants were even hired to moderate flushing in a desperate effort to save water. It was the southeast's most extreme drought on record."

We here, in Western Massachusetts, just have to look to the Quabbin Reservoir to see what happens when there is a water shortage. The water located in the Maloney Well is a valuable resource that MUST be protected. It is fresh, drinkable water that is accessible to humans. 


We believe it is time for the City of Northampton to respect the drinking water supply and NOT expand the landfill over a Protected Water Supply District.