Water Operations
 
In the 1860s, when development first began in Rothesay, the water supply was a spring-fed reservoir that supplied domestic water and water for fire suppression.  In 1902, Carpenter`s Pond was purchased by William Pugsley, at which time a dam was constructed at the pond.  The Rothesay and Glen Falls Water Company was born.  In 1921, the Village purchased the company for $28,750.00 - a lot of money in 1921. In comparison, Town records indicate that, in 1936, the total municipal budget was $14,058.42 - approximately half of the purchase price of the water system 15 years earlier!  In 2006, the total municipal budget is $12,261,819, of which $1,859,819 is for the operation of the water and sewerage utility.

A chlorine injection system was added and in 1933 a hydrant system was developed.  Two wells were subsequently developed around Carpenter`s Pond, which was eventually expanded to six wells.

In 1996, the present water treatment plant was commissioned, the first of its kind in the world for a municipal water supply.  The existing Carpenter`s Pond watershed consists of 8 wells in total; with 7 developed groundwater wells, 1 bedrock groundwater well and 1 infiltration gallery under development.  There are 2 bedrock wells in reserve. Rothesay has completed development of Well # 8 located in the vicinity of Carpenter Pond.  

The Zeeweed® microfiltration system is capable of processing 100,000,000 imperial gallons annually.  The system supports 1669 residential equivalent users, being supplied by approximately 8 kilometers of transmission and distribution mains to the western part of Rothesay, and by approximately 37 kilometers of transmission and distribution mains to the eastern part of Rothesay.  The watershed land area within the boundaries of Rothesay totals 1431 acres, of which 910 acres are owned by the Town.  Potable water sampling is conducted at 8 well sites and 16 distribution sites. There are 3 water storage facilities with capacities of 1,037,000 US gallons total, and Rothesay new McLachlan Lake Storage Reservoir completed in 2004 has added a capacity of 642,000 US gallons to the Rothesay System.

In November 2005 under subsection 14(1) of the Clean Water Act, the Minister of Environment and Local Government, with the approval of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, made a Designation Order for Carpenter Pond Wellfield. This Order may be cited as the Wellfield Protected Area Designation Order - Clean Water Act for Carpenter Pond. Specific information with respect to the protected areas can be found at http://www.gnb.ca/0062/regs/2001-83.htm.