Water is Life Well or Wells Run Dry It had to happen.

Parsippany Wells or Well Runs Dry
At the recent Town Council Meeting July 10th Parsippany Officials finally admitted at least one well of the “Buried Valley Aquifer” has gone dry. Although Councilman such as Michael dePierro alleges there is plenty of water, and Parsippany was forced, as he states by NJDEP to acquire addition water sources, this is not the case. Parsippany is in water deficit due to consumption, depletion and loss of environmentally sensitive landscapes, which provide free of charge ecosystem services like ground water recharge. In other words the pursuit of tax ratables has allowed economic development not within our natural systems capacities. The cumulative effects or impacts are finally catching up.
Parsippany’s planning and zoning boards ignore natural resources and reject landuse capability maps available through Highlands and other EPA sources. Natural features and their functions are ignored in favor of corporate developers fantasies. Not only is our water supply being overly depleted it is becoming more and more susceptible to contaminations. Replacing natural ecosystems especially original soils for impervious surface and engineering methods is diminishing nature’s ability to supply us with clean and abundant water. Many of Parsippany recent major developments have been in areas shown to be ground water recharge components of the Buried Valley Aquifer System; which despite what Councilman dePierro states; most water is found at 600 feet, has a shallow depth to ground water, therefore also susceptible to pollutants.
The Buried Valley Aquifer is composed of hydraulically interconnected permeable formations; the system is especially vulnerable to the introduction and dissemination of this contaminated recharge. The recent waterview rezone fiasco, UPS office complex, Intervale Housing, and 700 Mountain Way were all in important recharge areas, ignored by developers and promoted by the former Town Attorney and Mayor. (UPS area I witnessed water oozing out at ground level, close to the surface) (Waterviews soils grade A were some of the best for water recharge, as were the steep slopes and trees).
Everything is life exist according to its background, yet Parsippany ignores the very geology it stems from and lives upon. Highlands Conformance protecting our resources and community from improper development shunned aside. The aquifer beneath our feet taken for granted and not considered in its ecology; paved over.
Removing of remaining forested areas, rezoning with the loss of steep slope protection ordinances all are contributing to the crisis of water quality and quantity, not to mention the degrading of our community’s beauty. (dePierro was all in favor of environmental demise and intervale being degraded)
What have these new developments brought us? More traffic, more light pollution, noise more trash, litter and pollution in general tax increases.
Finally from NJDEP Water Allocation: In the case of Par-Troy, it is a buried valley aquifer with heavy drawdown, during summer months and limited rate of recharge to the aquifer. If you reference the deficit/surplus table you will notice that the system has contracts to purchase water from JCMUA & MCMUA. Without these contracts in place, Par-Troy would have a shortfall in available water.
As long as private economic considerations are given preference over public environmental values, Parsippany’s costs will increase; all passed on to you the taxpayer for a degraded quality of life, while corporate profits soar you pick up the bill. Water Is Life and doesn’t come out a plastic bottle, although the plastic pollution has replaced our once great American Landscapes. Without elected officials with a respect for nature and its system of ecological benefits free of charge, we are doomed as a species.