Many rural homeowners dependent on well water have been living with little or no water since this summer/fall’s drought.
Vermonters of public water systems have been little affected by the drought. But for Vermonters – mostly rural – dependent on well water, the water shortage has continued since the height of the drought in September.
The problem has not gone unrecognized by state and local officials. Yet for many homeowners, help ‘on the ground’ has been inadequate and their suffering continues.
This morning, VDC received a copy of a letter from longtime reader Libby Moyer sent to Gov. Phil Scott about the dire circumstances, and insufficient help from both the public and private sectors, facing a retired Vietnam veteran U.S. Marine James Garnett of Vershire, one of many low-income, rural homeowners dealing with catastrophic drought.
Dear Governor Scott – I am writing on behalf of James Garnett, a 76-year-old Vietnam Veteran, former Marine, and low-income homeowner in Vershire. Our well went dry due to the September 2025 drought, and as of December 18, 2025, we remain without a reliable water supply.
He is forced to break ice and carry heavy buckets along an icy driveway to flush toilets and meet basic needs, all while managing on a fixed income. I reside in his home and have witnessed his unwavering resolve, but this situation is unsustainable and life-threatening in freezing conditions.
Since mid-September 2025 (approximately 14 weeks), we have relied on tanker truck deliveries every 10–14 days at a cost of $325 each, totaling an estimated $2,600–$3,250 in borrowed funds for water alone—not including bottled drinking water or daily physical labor.
Due to the limited size of our cistern, each delivery provides only 1–2 showers, one load of laundry, and about three dishwasher cycles. Toilet flushing requires separate bucket water stored in large bins in an outbuilding; in freezing temperatures, this means breaking ice daily before carrying the buckets. A large full 5-gallon bucket of water weighs approximately 42–45 pounds, an immense physical burden for a 76-year-old veteran.
Compounding this hardship, he must also haul these heavy buckets of water to care for his four beloved goats and one cherished horse—animals that are deeply important to him as a Veteran and provide essential companionship and purpose.
Many Vermonters face similar hardships amid the ongoing severe drought: shallow wells have failed, forcing residents to purchase expensive tanker deliveries without adequate aid. Those without internet access are further disadvantaged, as applications and updates are primarily digital, with no in-person support or case management.
On December 17, I contacted Lucy of Stowe at the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), which oversees water matters. The response revealed alarming gaps: the state lacks a comprehensive inventory of affected households or details on available winter-specific assistance. Our entry into the state’s information map provided only an “idea” of severity, not actionable data for aid distribution.
The process we followed has failed:
- Contacted our town’s Emergency Management coordinator.
- Entered our location on the state map.
- Navigated resource lists for financing and tanker trucks—requiring borrowing money and carrying heavy loads daily.
- Submitted a claim to our homeowner’s insurance company, which was denied on the grounds that the cause “could be anything” and offered only $250 for a minor repair—wholly inadequate when the entire well system requires replacement due to the drought.
- Sought financing through Downstreet Housing in Barre, where our representative shared that even her own parents have no water as she tries to assist Mr. Garnett—yet we face months-long delays and irrelevant reviews (e.g., by the Vermont Historic Preservation Office).
- Coordinated with overwhelmed well drillers (prioritizing farmers) and a dowser—all amid backlogs and freezing conditions.
Despite significant investments in digital infrastructure in Montpelier, inter-agency silos and inadequate networking prevent low-friction coordination in emergencies like this drought—leaving residents in crisis without rapid, connected support. This mirrors frustrations in other programs, where digital tools exist but fail to fully connect Vermonters in need.
ANR directed me to your office, shirking their responsibility to coordinate support. This systemic failure has left us demoralized after months of effort. Our Representative Taglivia is aware, but Orange County lacks a senator.
We have now taken the additional step of submitting this formal request through your office’s online contact form.
I urge you to intervene immediately: compile a statewide inventory of affected residents, break down agency silos for real-time coordination, expedite subsidies for tanker deliveries and well drilling, and ensure accessible, non-digital support—especially for vulnerable veterans and seniors. Thank you for your urgent attention.
Libby Moyer, Vershire
For more information on the severity of the drought, which peaked in September but has left many rural homes still without water, see this September statement from UVM Extension:
Vermont’s 2025 drought has pushed farmers to their limits, with the U.S. Drought Monitor reporting 100% of the state under drought conditions as of September 16, including 78% in severe drought (D2) and 2% in extreme drought (D3)—the worst since 2000.
Rainfall through August averages just 18.5 inches statewide, a stark 11-inch deficit compared to the 30-year average of 29.7 inches. The two-week forecast offers little relief, with scattered showers possible over the next 10-14 days—chances of 30-70% on select days, but totals likely under 0.25 inches in many areas, insufficient to ease drought stress significantly. This scarcity of water strains everything, making soil health practices like cover cropping critical yet challenging. The seed will only germinate when sufficient moisture arrives.
Although November was among the rainiest in recent years, many wells have still not refilled, or the systems have been damaged by the extended drought.