TheSanctuaryEstates
RVF Newbee
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2025
- Messages
- 1
Hello everyone,
My name is Steffan Brown. I live in the same small town that I grew up in Southern New Hampshire with my wife and two very young kids. We have always been lovers of New Hampshire's great outdoors and my kids are being raised regularly checking in to different campgrounds all over the state, fishing, hiking, kayaking, etc. just as I did as a kid myself.
Recently, myself and a partner, (also a lifetime local Granite Stater) took a massive leap of faith and literally emptied our life savings into developing a very small boutique family campground in Southern New Hampshire. We have spent quite a lot of money so far purchasing the land, hiring engineers, presented to Planning and Zoning Boards, etc. We are nearing the final steps in the permitting process and ran into a massive hiccup with The Department of Environmental Services that could potentially derail everything and put us out hundreds of thousands of dollars. A huge blow to two young guys just starting out.
We intend to open year round as we have recreational camping cabins which can operate during the winter. Since we intend to be open year round, the code from DES (Env-Wq 1000) is holding us to the same water usage that a single family residential home is held to which is 225 GPD/site for Septic Loading. This requirement is nearly FOUR times the daily requirement for a seasonal camp site (60 GPD) despite the fact that it will be the same campground, with the same amount of guests, on the same sites, using the same water usage only open a few more months a year. (Env-Wq 1005.10.) Our 300 sq ft. cabins do not have kitchen sinks, dishwashers, laundry, any cooking appliances, or people living in them 7 nights a week, etc. as a residential dwelling would, however this is the standard that the current code holds us to.
This is where we need your help. Within that code, there is a section that allows us to use metered water data from a similar use, to be used as the guidance for design flow instead of the single-family residential home standard it currently outlines. That said, if anyone has a year round campground, and can provide me with any kind of evidence that shows how much water your campground uses, whether that is a water bill, meter reads, anything else, it could truly be the thing that saves this whole thing for me.
I started working when I was 12 years old and spent almost a decade working two full time jobs to provide for my young family. I am not one to ask for help from anyone and wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't nearly my only option.
I cannot thank you all enough for your time in reading this. If you can connect me with anyone who may have this, or even just have some advice for me, I would love to hear it!
BTW, this post is not at all negative on the great folks at DES. They have been very reasonable to work with and just like my partner and I, truly want what is best for our beloved state.
My email is [email protected]
Admins, I believe I posted in the correct place and followed all of the rules but please let me know if not.
If you know of anyone that can help us here and can tag them, it would truly mean the world to me!!
My name is Steffan Brown. I live in the same small town that I grew up in Southern New Hampshire with my wife and two very young kids. We have always been lovers of New Hampshire's great outdoors and my kids are being raised regularly checking in to different campgrounds all over the state, fishing, hiking, kayaking, etc. just as I did as a kid myself.
Recently, myself and a partner, (also a lifetime local Granite Stater) took a massive leap of faith and literally emptied our life savings into developing a very small boutique family campground in Southern New Hampshire. We have spent quite a lot of money so far purchasing the land, hiring engineers, presented to Planning and Zoning Boards, etc. We are nearing the final steps in the permitting process and ran into a massive hiccup with The Department of Environmental Services that could potentially derail everything and put us out hundreds of thousands of dollars. A huge blow to two young guys just starting out.
We intend to open year round as we have recreational camping cabins which can operate during the winter. Since we intend to be open year round, the code from DES (Env-Wq 1000) is holding us to the same water usage that a single family residential home is held to which is 225 GPD/site for Septic Loading. This requirement is nearly FOUR times the daily requirement for a seasonal camp site (60 GPD) despite the fact that it will be the same campground, with the same amount of guests, on the same sites, using the same water usage only open a few more months a year. (Env-Wq 1005.10.) Our 300 sq ft. cabins do not have kitchen sinks, dishwashers, laundry, any cooking appliances, or people living in them 7 nights a week, etc. as a residential dwelling would, however this is the standard that the current code holds us to.
This is where we need your help. Within that code, there is a section that allows us to use metered water data from a similar use, to be used as the guidance for design flow instead of the single-family residential home standard it currently outlines. That said, if anyone has a year round campground, and can provide me with any kind of evidence that shows how much water your campground uses, whether that is a water bill, meter reads, anything else, it could truly be the thing that saves this whole thing for me.
I started working when I was 12 years old and spent almost a decade working two full time jobs to provide for my young family. I am not one to ask for help from anyone and wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't nearly my only option.
I cannot thank you all enough for your time in reading this. If you can connect me with anyone who may have this, or even just have some advice for me, I would love to hear it!
BTW, this post is not at all negative on the great folks at DES. They have been very reasonable to work with and just like my partner and I, truly want what is best for our beloved state.
My email is [email protected]
Admins, I believe I posted in the correct place and followed all of the rules but please let me know if not.
If you know of anyone that can help us here and can tag them, it would truly mean the world to me!!
