The well that has supplied water to Karen Krag’s family cottage on Bailey Island for more than 75 years ran dry for the first time this summer. Then it went dry again, and again — nine times and counting, she said.
“We’ve never had any trouble before,” Krag said about the summer cottage, which has no shower or dishwasher. “The third week we were here (this summer), there was no water.”
Krag is among a growing number of Harpswell property owners and managers who say once-reliable wells have run out of water, at least intermittently, as the town continues to experience moderate to severe drought.
Several, including Krag, have resorted to having potable water delivered to homes they own or manage, either to charge the well or store in plastic tanks in the basement or underground.
They include property manager David Johnson, owner of Safe Harbour Property Management & Rentals, who has advised a growing number of clients to install water storage systems in their vacation rentals.
“We’ve had seven wells that have run dry to some degree this summer,” Johnson said, adding that the problem is especially prevalent on islands and narrow peninsulas. “This has been kind of an ongoing problem for the past few years.”
Maine in drought
Harpswell is currently riding the line between regions of moderate and severe drought, Sarah Jamison, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service, said in an interview.
The drought came on quickly in late July following several consecutive weekends of rainfall, Jamison said. She described current conditions as a “flash drought,” brought on by a confluence of warm temperatures and rainfall deficits.
According to Maine’s Drought Task Force, more than half the state was in severe drought as of early September. Nearly 90% of Maine’s population resides in drought-stricken regions, it said, with only a portion of northwest Maine experiencing normal conditions.
Coastal Maine usually receives 6-10 inches of rainfall each summer, according to the task force, while inland areas receive 8-12 inches. But this summer, most of the state has received less than half the normal amount, it said, making it one of the 10 driest summers on record.
“We have been seeing an uptick in dry wells across the state, particularly across southern Maine,” Jamison said. “We do have more wells in southern Maine, but that is also the area where we have been seeing more drying.”
The drought is part of a broader warming trend that has brought reduced rainfall and faster evaporation in the summer, she said. This trend has led to a variety of concerns, including increased wildfire activity and reduced crop yields for fruits, vegetables and livestock feed.
Jamison said it would take “multiple rainfall events drawn out over several weeks” to get out of the current drought.
“Right now, the forecast is very bleak,” she said. “We are not seeing any relief.”
Harpswell adapts
Harpswell Conservation Commission Chair Mary Ann Nahf said she has heard reports of some residents running out of water temporarily and having to wait several hours for their wells to recharge.
“A few residents who had a house full of guests (were) having water supply issues,” Nahf said in an email. “While they ran out of water, they had water again within 8-12 hours after allowing their well to recharge itself.”
The commission has been hosting an ongoing seminar series about Harpswell’s limited groundwater supply and how residents can help protect it. In June, experts on landscaping and tree care discussed how plants can help slow runoff from rainfall, decrease erosion and allow more water to seep into Harpswell’s groundwater reservoir.
Harpswell sits mostly on outcrops of metamorphic bedrock with many fractures in which fresh water collects. The town’s geology makes wells harder to drill and more likely to run dry in certain areas, particularly near the shoreline.
Johnson, the property manager, said water storage systems are becoming “very prevalent” in Harpswell as more property owners run out of other options. He has been asking guests at his clients’ properties to conserve water, as well.
David Withee, owner of DW Solutions, installs water storage systems in Harpswell. Withee has seen an uptick in demand for such systems, which he said vary widely in price, depending on their capacity and features.
Typical systems range in storage capacity from 500 gallons to 2,500. He said installing one can give homeowners peace of mind, “even if they don’t have any problems with their wells — yet.”
Bill Martin, a carpenter who delivers water as a side job, said he has seen a 70% uptick in his delivery business this summer. Martin purchases the water from the Brunswick & Topsham Water District and delivers it in a 1,550-gallon tank on the bed of a truck.
“There are so many homes that are solely dependent on water tanks (in the summer),” he said.
Editor’s note: David Johnson serves on the Harpswell News Board of Directors. Harpswell News is the nonprofit publisher of the Harpswell Anchor.
