There are approximately 690 community public water systems (PWSs) in New Hampshire. Community water systems serve primarily residential customers. The type of ownership of water systems is a significant factor in predicting whether a water system has a formal water rate. PWSs can be grouped into four categories relative to their water rates, as discussed below.

1. Large Water Systems. A separate rate summary is available for larger public water systems in New Hampshire. This summary is given in DES fact sheet WD-WSEB-16-5 entitled "2001 Water Rate Summary: Large Systems." These large systems are generally owned by municipalities and offer fire protection flow capability. There are approximately 110 of these systems.

2. PUC Regulated Water Systems. Attached to this document is a summary of water rates for those PWSs that are regulated by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC). There are approximately 60 of these systems. The rates given are based on 5/8" meter and typical consumption of 8,800 cubic feet per year, which is 175 gallons per day per service.

3. Cooperative Owned Water Systems. There are many very small PWSs serving residential customers that serve less than 250 people, have no fire protection, are owned by homeowner’s cooperatives, and operate at rate schedules intended to only cover costs. Volunteers play a large roll in the operation of these systems. In general their rates are noticeably lower than the PUC regulated systems due to volunteerism and other factors. The water service fee of these cooperatively owned systems vary dramatically from year to year in response to one-time high capital costs (examples: pump replacement, adding a treatment function or a new water source). DES has not listed these water rates due to the impact of volunteer staffing and the variability of rates caused by their "pay as you go" operational mode. There are approximately 225 of these systems.

4. Apartments & mobile home parks Water Systems. There are many other very small public water systems serving residential customers that are owned privately and typically serve apartments and mobile home parks (MHPs). These systems generally do not track the cost of operating the water system and do not bill their customers separately for water service. There are an approximately 285 of these systems.