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Performing an Inventory for Drinking Water Protection
New Hampshire’s basic approach to protecting drinking water sources* consists of three steps: delineate the area to be protected, inventory potential contamination sources (PCSs), and manage PCSs. While virtually any human activity can be considered a PCS, only 19 types of activities need to be included in a PCS inventory (see list on reverse). Preparing a PCS inventory does not require any special training. Here are the steps to follow:
- Obtain a map of the source water protection area and preliminary inventory of potential and existing sources of groundwater contamination in one of the following ways: contact the N.H. Department of Environmental Services at (603) 271-7017 or create your own map from the DES website at www.des.nh.gov/gis/onestop.
- Conduct a “windshield survey.” This consists of driving or walking through the source water protection area to see if any businesses or activities can be taken off or added to the preliminary inventory of PCSs and to verify the locations of the PCSs. Businesses can be taken off the possible PCS list if they do not include any of the activities on the next page. Please note that some of the known contamination sources on the map may no longer be in business although they remain in DES’s GIS system.
- Check local sources of information. Tax records may be of use in identifying PCS businesses in the source protection area. In some cases, these records will reveal the business name, but not the type of business. The local code enforcement officer, health officer, and fire officials are usually very knowledgeable about businesses in town. For some multi-tenant properties, you may wish to contact the owner by phone to see if there are any PCS businesses on the premises.
- Based on the windshield survey and review of local information, finalize your PCS list and map (see example on reverse). Please forward any updated information to the DES Drinking Water Source Protection Program.
These steps are the minimum needed to prepare a PCS inventory. For those water suppliers or municipalities wishing to develop a more exhaustive inventory or to locate PCSs more precisely, contact DES at (603) 271-7061.
*This includes programs for the protection of public water supply wells and surface water sources, as well as protection programs for high value groundwater resources under the Groundwater Reclassification process. While this fact sheet outlines inventory procedures for “basic” source protection, a wide variety of protection approaches are used in New Hampshire. For more information, please see fact sheet WD-DWGB-12-8 “Protecting Public Drinking Water Sources Based on Source Assessment Reports.”
POTENTIAL CONTAMINATION SOURCES (PCSs)*
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Vehicle service and repair shops
General service and repair shops
Metalworking shops
Manufacturing facilities
Underground and aboveground storage tanks
Waste and scrap processing and storage
Transportation corridors
Septic systems (at commercial and industrial facilities)
Laboratories and certain professional offices (medical, dental, veterinary)
Use of agricultural chemicals |
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Salt storage and use
Snow dumps
Stormwater infiltration ponds or leaching catch basins
Cleaning services
Food processing plants
Fueling and maintenance of earth moving equipment
Concrete, asphalt, and tar manufacture
Cemeteries
Hazardous waste facilities |
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*as identified in New Hampshire’s Groundwater Protection Act (RSA 485-C)
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For Additional Information
Please contact the Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau at (603) 271-2513 or dwgbinfo@des.state.nh.us or visit our website at www.des.nh.gov/dwgb. All of the bureau’s fact sheets are on-line at www.des.nh.gov/dwg.htm.
Note: This fact sheet is accurate as of January 2007. Statutory or regulatory changes, or the availability of additional information after this date may render this information inaccurate or incomplete.
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