Paul Susca, who retired in August 2022 from NHDES, was awarded the Environmental Merit Award by USEPA. Paul had a three-decade career in state service that left an indelible mark on state efforts to protect drinking water resources. As an administrator in the state Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau, Paul oversaw the Source Water Protection Grant Program, the Environmental Lab Accreditation Program, state private well initiatives, an education program focused on people's relationships with water as well as compliance and enforcement activities.

Every year the Local Source Water Protection Grant Program provides funding for organizations to complete local projects that better protect public drinking water sources. At this past November’s grant application deadline, a record number of grant requests were submitted to the Source Water Protection Program. The program received 23 applications totaling over $450,000 in funding requests.

Over the last two years, Legionella bacteria detected in the plumbing systems of a motel, campground and an office park in New Hampshire may have contributed to reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease for people using the water at these facilities.  

A recent increase in interest in air quality monitoring by citizen scientists combined with the introduction of low-cost sensors in the private market has led to an exciting time for local data gathering. The NHDES Air Resources Division has begun a new program to help encourage these efforts while simultaneously ensuring that the data collected is accurate.

There are over 6,000 acres of salt marsh within New Hampshire. These ecosystems serve as home to a diversity of wildlife and fish, offer aesthetic and recreational benefits, and provide important ecosystem services such as carbon storage and flood attenuation. Unfortunately, human impacts related to salt marsh farming, mosquito control and encroachment from development threaten the sensitive balance of coastal marshes.

In 2010, NHDES added a segment of McQuesten Brook, a tributary to the Merrimack River located in Bedford and Manchester, New Hampshire, to the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for failure to support aquatic life integrity due to insufficient dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration. The brook did not meet the state standard of 5.0 milligrams of DO per liter (mg/L). A sequence of open and closed channels and four fish passage barriers restricted the movement of brook trout and contributed to the DO impairment in this highly urbanized, 564-acre watershed.  

The New Hampshire Sustainable Craft Beverage Program recognizing Vulgar Brewing Company in Franklin, N.H., is the latest craft brewery in New Hampshire to be officially recognized in the NHDES Sustainable Craft Beverage Recognition Program.

This craft brewery with English pub vibes was founded in 2018 with the name Vulgar, meaning the language of the common folk. Their goal is to support local producers by purchasing ingredients from local farmers and create a community gathering place where everyone feels welcome.

Three NHDES employees were recognized at the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) Annual Conference in January.  

More ARPA-funded Projects Approved by Governor and Council

NHDES continues to shepherd tens of millions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure projects through the loan and grant process set up using money from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). NHDES has offered over $166 million in ARPA grant funding for more than 310 projects, which are in the process of finalizing their proposals to NHDES for submission to the Governor and Executive Council for approval.

Cyanobacteria blooms are occurring in lakes where, historically, they have not been observed and are occurring outside what used to be the “normal cyanobacteria season.” These blooms may produce harmful cyanotoxins that can impact recreational and drinking water sources. Cyanotoxins can be toxic if ingested and can affect the health of both humans and animals.