Welcome to New Hampshire’s Small Public Water Supply Help Center. Here you will find information and guidance on a wide range of topics related to the technical, managerial and financial aspects of operating a small public water supply system. This information will help water system commissioners, board members, owners and operators better provide an adequate quantity of high quality drinking water to their customers. From the regulatory standpoint, well run water systems are considered to have adequate "capacity." The terms "capacity development" and "capacity assurance" are unique to the drinking water industry and are not related to volume or competence, but rather toward ability and sustainability. "Capacity development" can be thought of as a process through which a system voluntarily plans for and implements activities to ensure that a water system can meet both its immediate and long term obligations to provide safe and reliable drinking water to its customers. Capacity activities have been categorized into the following three groups: Technical capacity refers to the physical infrastructure of the water system, including but not limited to the adequacy of the source water, infrastructure (source, treatment, storage, and distribution), and the ability of system personnel to implement the requisite technical knowledge. Managerial capacity refers to the management structure of the water system, including but not limited to ownership accountability, staffing and organization, and effective linkages to customers and regulatory agencies. Financial capacity refers to the financial resources of the water system, including, but not limited to, revenue sufficiency, credit worthiness, and fiscal controls. New Hampshire’s Public Water Supply Capacity Program was established in 1999 with the adoption of Administrative Rules Env-Ws 363 "Capacity Assurance For Existing Public Water Systems" and Env-Ws 371 "Capacity Assurance For Proposed Public Water Systems." The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services’ (DES) capacity development program strives to help drinking water systems improve their finances, management, infrastructure, and operations, so they can provide safe drinking water consistently, reliably, and cost-effectively. For more information on water system capacity development please contact DWGB.

Links To... Capacity Rules Capacity Strategy Consumer Confidence Reports Drinking Water Glossaries Drinking Water Standards Fact Sheets Financial Programs Forms & Templates Operator Training Public Water System Information Radionuclides Radon / Arsenic SDWA Owner Responsibilities Self-Assessment Source Water Protection & Security Technical Assistance Total Coliform Rule USEPA / USGS Waterborne Diseases