The NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau recently recognized the Merrimack River Watershed Council (MWRC), the city of Claremont and the Hooksett Village Water Precinct at its annual Drinking Water Source Protection Conference.
The MWRC and Claremont were recognized for work to secure $6.9 million dollars in federal funding from the USDA to coordinate water supply and conservation partners, including NHDES. This new partnership represents an unprecedented opportunity to protect water supply land, with substantial federal funds matched by NH’s Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund and other sources.
The City of Claremont was recognized for the development of a new source water protection plan that outlines key actions to improve public education, water security and other steps to protect the city’s water supply reservoir.
The Hooksett Village Water Precinct received NHDES’ Source Water Sustainability Award, given to a public water system, municipality or other entity whose work significantly preserves the availability of source water through water conservation or other efficiency measures.
NHDES Commissioner Bob Scott stressed the impacts of drought and flooding, upon local sources of drinking water and the challenges it puts on public water systems and communities to resort to more expensive and unpopular management strategies including purchasing water, extending water use restrictions, and other emergency decisions, including finding new sources.
The Commissioner recognized the significant accomplishments of Sarah Pillsbury, former administrator of the Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau who retired last summer as well as Thomas O’Donovan, the Water Division Director at NHDES who retired at the end of May.
For more information about the Source Water Protection Awards or Conference, please contact Pierce Rigrod, NHDES Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau at (603) 271-0688.