Ledyard – Two weeks after a public hearing that yielded some changes, the Planning and Zoning Commission adopted regulations Thursday night that will impose public water requirements on new subdivisions.

Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Mike Cherry said old water and sewage regulations applying to subdivisions simply said that if a property is within 200 feet of a public water supply, the owner cannot get a well permit.

The new regulations stipulate that if a subdivision of 10 or more homes is within 1,000 feet of municipal water by road, easement or proposed easement, the developer will be required to have homes hook up to public water.

Cherry said the change reflects the $15 million of public water lines now available to the town. The commission adopted the regulation by a vote of 5-0 Thursday night and set an effective date of Sept. 30.

“For a long time, we just didn’t have any water,” he said, later adding, “It’s important that we take advantage of the resources that we’ve paid for.”

About a year ago, Cherry said they started looking at what other communities do. For the homebuyer, it wouldn’t cost any more than a well and its hookup, he added.