New store to process its own wastewater
BY LAUREN SAUSSER
The new Hooksett Wal-Mart – already under construction on Route 3A – announced plans to design an on-site treatment plant to process in-store wastewater.
Attorney Amy Manzelli of Concord-based firm Sulloway and Hollis attended a Hooksett Conservation Commission meeting recently and briefed members on ways Wal-Mart intends to make this store a little more environmentally responsible.
By decreasing the size of its store from 224,000 square feet to 162,000 square feet – a plan laid out last spring – and by processing wastewater on site, Manzelli said the store wants to do its part to help reduce its impact on surrounding wetlands.
“Wal-Mart is making an effort to green its stores,” Manzelli said. “That’s what we’re trying to do with this project.”
The store is currently under construction on the corner of Bemus Savoie Road and Route 3A in Hooksett. Site work began one year ago and Manzelli said they are hopeful the Super Wal- Mart, which will include an instore grocery, as well as clothing, home furnishings, sporting goods and an electronics departments, is slated to open its doors by the end of summer 2009.
Chris Buchanan, a public relations manager for Wal-Mart, said the new design is being implemented at many new stores in conjunction with the septic systems.
“The site plans were slightly shifted to accommodate the wastewater treatment facility,” Buchanan said. “Although each site is obviously different, the majority of Wal-Mart stores being built with on-site septic systems will now also have on-site wastewater treatment plants. Again, this is an additional sustainable company initiative to create cleaner quality water before it goes back to the site’s leaching field.”
The Conservation Commission welcomed the plans for the wastewater treatment facility, which will replace original plans that called only for an underground septic system.
“In summary, we’re improving the quality of the wastewater,” said Conservation Commission Vice Chairman Steve Couture. “Overall, it’s definitely a net gain from the environmental perspective.”