“Each time there’s construction, there’s contamination,” said Crosby, pointing to projects like the Montfort’s expanded parking garage or the new Shepherds of Good Hope building. He counts perhaps 10 spikes in the past 15 years, leading to a need to “shock” his water system with cleansing chemicals. “We shocked it so often that it corroded the fittings on the pressure tank.” Over the years, there have been vibrations strong enough to rattle dishes and knock a connecting pipe off the septic system. “This has always been a concern,” said Parent, a retired public servant. “It raises the spectre of our wells drying out. With all this development, the danger becomes increasingly more serious.”