More than $6 million awarded for drinking water, wastewater and other projects

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) announced today that Governor Chris Sununu and the Executive Council, at recent meetings, have approved multiple projects, in a combination of grant and loan funds, for needed drinking water and wastewater system improvements, as well as some other related projects totaling more than $6 million. NHDES provided the funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan programs. NHDES has offered over $100 million in funding for more than 200 projects, which are in the process of finalizing their proposals to NHDES for submission to the Governor and Executive Council for approval. More information about the projects that have been approved is below:

• Antrim: Clean water energy audit measure implementation - $34,000 ARPA grant
  The Town of Antrim will use the grant funding to make improvements including improvements to lagoon aerators and upgrades to improve heating efficiency in the interior of the buildings.

• Concord: Wastewater infrastructure – $760,000 ARPA grant
  • ARPA Grant: $760,000
  • Local Funds: $3,040,000
  • Total project cost: $3,800,000
    The City of Concord will use the grant funding to make improvements to the secondary clarifiers at the Hall Street Wastewater Treatment Facility.

• Enfield: Drinking water improvements - $1.33 million Drinking Water SRF loan; $575,000 ARPA grant
  • Drinking Water SRF Loan: $1,330,000
  • ARPA Grant: $570,000
  • Total Project Cost: $1,900,000
    The Town of Enfield is receiving $1.33 million from the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund and a $575,000 ARPA grant ($1.9 million total project cost) to make water system improvements including the replacement of approximately 15,340 linear feet of distribution water main and develop a new well source at the Marsh well site to remedy deficiencies in the current water system. This will address water supply quality, quantity and reliability issues.

• Enfield: Wastewater improvements - $950,000 Clean Water SRF loan; $950,000 ARPA grant
  • ARPA Grant: $950,000
  • Clean Water SRF Loan: $950,000
  • Total project cost: $1,900,00
    The Town of Enfield will use the grant and loan funding to repair and replace approximately 7,900 linear feet of sewer main in the core and northern area of Town and for the rehabilitation of approximately 60 sewer manholes in various locations as well as the video inspection of approximately 15,000 linear feet of sewer main. The project will result in the reduction of inflow and infiltration of outside water that the system currently experiences.

• Lincoln: Clean water energy audit measure implementation - $215,000 ARPA grant
  The Town of Lincoln will use the grant funding to make improvements including improvements to lagoons and upgrades to the heating system in the interior of the buildings.

• Milford: Wastewater planning grant - $100,000 ARPA grant
  The Town of Milford will receive a $100,000 ARPA grant for planning work related to process upgrades at the wastewater treatment facility.

• Northwood, Loon Estates Cooperative: Drinking water and wastewater improvements - $1.9 million ARPA Disadvantaged Grant Program
  Loon Estates Cooperative, Inc. will use the grant funding to make water and wastewater system improvements including replacement of existing aging water distribution system components, construction of a new pump house, and replacement and upgrades to the leach fields and septic system components in the existing on-site subsurface disposal systems.

• Woodstock: Clean water energy audit measures implementation -$74,000 ARPA grant
  The Town of Woodstock will use the grant funding to make improvements including upgrades to reduce electricity use and upgrades to improve heating efficiency in the interior of the buildings.

• University of New Hampshire (UNH): Cooperative project agreement for stream crossing assessments - $315,834 ARPA grant
  UNH faculty and UNH Technology Transfer Center (T2) staff will, using the New Hampshire Stream Crossing Initiative (NHSCI) and analyzing assessment data, help NHDES and other state agencies identify culvert replacement projects with the greatest environmental and societal benefits. UNH expects to complete about 4,900 assessments in 2022 and 2023. The stream crossing data collected through this project will be made publicly available via the Statewide Asset Data Exchange System (SADES) and an online mapping tool to support municipalities, agencies and watershed groups on prioritizing infrastructure projects and improved asset management.

• Tighe & Bond, Inc.: Contract for water audits at 25 New Hampshire community water systems - $133,975 ARPA grant
  The purpose of the project is to complete water audits at New Hampshire community water systems. A water audit is a fundamental tool for water systems. By completing a water audit, water systems can more effectively make management and operational decisions to address water leaks, prioritize system improvements and manage infrastructure assets. Tighe & Bond will complete water audits for 25 water systems and to provide recommendations for addressing water losses and improving system.

• Weston & Sampson: Contract for vulnerability assessments - $500,000 ARPA grant; $95,543.50 Drinking Water SRF grant; $95,543.50 Clean Water SRF grant
  • Total contract amount: $691,087
  • ARPA Grant: $500,000
  • Drinking Water SRF: $95,543.50
  • Clean Water SRF: $95,543.50
    Weston & Sampson will conduct assessments that are intended to help the owners and operators of publicly owned wastewater and drinking water systems to better understand and identify measures to help system owners improve their systems’ resilience.

Background:

ARPA is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill to speed up the United States’ recovery from the economic health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant recession. The Act defines eligible uses of the state and local funding, including responding to public health emergencies, responding to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 emergency, providing revenue relief to states and making investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.  

For more information regarding infrastructure funding programs such as ARPA and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) being administered by NHDES visit the NHDES Infrastructure Funding website.

For more information, please contact Erin Holmes, NHDES at Erin.L.Holmes@des.nh.gov or (603) 848-4259.