5.0 General Requirements

The applicant/developer shall comply with the following general requirements for developments requiring a cistern:

5.1 Compliance with NFPA Standards.

All cisterns and their installation shall comply with the requirements of these regulations and all NFPA Standards, even where NFPA Standards are stricter than these regulations.

5.2 Site Plan Requirements.

The applicant shall provide the following information for review as part of the regular site plan/subdivision plan approval process:

1. In addition to all information otherwise required by the subdivision and site plan review regulations, as well as any additional information required by the Planning Board, the plans shall indicate:
   1. the location(s) of the cistern(s) and the structure or structures to be protected within 1,000 feet of each cistern. No structure shall be more than 1,000 feet from a cistern;
   2. the location(s) of the proposed Dry Hydrant(s);
   3. the location(s) and dimension(s) of the Vehicle Pad(s), which shall have been designed in consultation with the Fire Chief, as required by Section 6.2.5;
   4. the location(s) and dimension(s) of the easements to be granted to the Town pursuant to these regulations;
   5. the Responsible Party or Parties, including whether they will differ over time; and
   6. reference on the plans to any conditions, agreements and/or documentation that address the obligations outlined in Section 5.3.
2. A design package for the proposed cistern, stamped by a New Hampshire Licensed Civil Engineer and including the manufacturer’s literature indicating compliance with these regulations.

5.3 Responsible Party or Parties.

The Responsible Party or Parties shall own the cistern(s) and shall, at its or their expense, in addition to bearing the costs to obtain, install and maintain each cistern as Fully Operational, as well as any other costs set out in these regulations:

1. Provide the Town of Wilton with a minimum 10-foot easement on all sides of the cistern and an additional minimum 25-foot easement from a driveway or roadway to permit access for fire suppression and testing of each cistern, which easements shall be delivered to the Planning Board for prior approval and recorded with the Registry of Deeds;
2. Maintain year-round access to the cistern(s) and to the Vehicle Pad(s), except to the extent a cistern is located next to a public way, in which case the Town of Wilton shall be responsible for snow and brush removal;
3. Make prompt repairs, as indicated by an inspection or test results or as otherwise required to keep the cistern Fully Operational, all such work to be completed by technicians approved by the manufacturer and in compliance with applicable warranties or other requirements;
4. Bear the costs associated with the biennial inspection and testing of the cistern, including the inspection fee and the cost of refilling the cistern with clean water;
5. If a Responsible Party is a homeowners’ association or similar entity, its articles or other governing documents shall provide for the funding of its obligations under these regulations, in form acceptable to the Planning Board and recorded in the Registry of Deeds, including, without limitation, by an obligation to maintain insurance or establish an ongoing capital reserve fund sufficient to defray any projected costs during the entity’s existence or as a condition of its dissolution;
6. If the Responsible Party is an individual, developer or builder, it shall provide such security for the timely performance of its obligations under these regulations as the Planning Board may from time to time require;
7. If a Responsible Party fails to timely discharge its obligations under these regulations, the Town of Wilton may perform the obligations for the Responsible Party and place a lien upon each lot within the subdivision served by the cistern for the cost of performance, which right shall be reflected both on the plans for the development and in the document described in subsection 5.3.5 above.

5.4 Inspection, Testing, and Approval.

1. All inspections and tests shall be performed by the Fire Chief, who may engage additional engineering or other resources as deemed necessary, at the cost of the Responsible Party or Parties.

2. The installation of a cistern shall be approved by the Fire Chief, and it shall be deemed Fully Operational, after it has passed the inspections and operational tests set out in subsection 3, and an NH licensed engineer has certified that the cistern as installed complies with the specifications set out in these regulations. No building permit shall be issued for any structure to be served by the cistern until the cistern has been approved and is Fully Operational.

   The Responsible Party or Parties shall pay a fee of $100.00 to the Wilton Fire Department for the Fire Chief to perform the inspections and operational tests required for cistern installation approval.

3. An inspection schedule shall be established for each project before installation begins. During installation, and before the next phase of the installation may begin, the Fire Chief shall inspect:
   • Rough excavation,
   • Tie-down or strapping,
   • Backfill,
   • Accessibility and maintenance of cistern area and easements, and
   • Vehicle pad.

   After any deficiencies identified in the above inspections have been addressed, the Fire Chief shall conduct a random:

   • Compaction Test,
   • Leakage Test, and
   • Flow Test.

4. On a biennial basis, the Fire Chief shall inspect the accessibility and maintenance of the cistern area, easements, and the Vehicle Pad, and perform a Flow Test and a Leakage Test. The Responsible Party or Parties shall promptly address any deficiency identified by the Fire Chief.

   The Responsible Party or Parties shall pay a fee of $100.00 to the Wilton Fire Department for the Fire Chief to perform the inspections and operational tests required for each biennial inspection.