During the 2026 legislative session, the New Hampshire House and Senate considered several bills focused on strengthening water system governance, protecting groundwater resources, and improving the resilience and cybersecurity of critical infrastructure. Some important stuff NHWWA and the Legislative Committee have been following are House Bills 1019, 1089, and 1728, together with Senate Bill 589. These reflect a coordinated policy direction emphasizing technical expertise, preventive regulation, and forward‑looking infrastructure planning.

HB 1019 – State Water Well Board Composition

• HB 1019 expands the New Hampshire Water Well Board from seven to eight members by adding a licensed water treatment professional with at least ten years of experience. Existing professional qualification standards and term limits are retained. The bill is intended to broaden technical expertise on the board, particularly in areas related to water treatment and groundwater protection. NHWWA has no stance on this and decided to remain neutral. We will follow closely and help to provide someone from NHWWA to the Water Well Board if needed.

HB 1089 – NHDES Authority Over New Community Water Systems

• HB 1089 extends the authority of the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to evaluate and mitigate contamination risks from new community water systems. It requires NHDES to adopt rules ensuring that certain groundwater withdrawals do not cause unmitigated impacts to existing private wells. The bill strengthens statutory references governing groundwater protection and emphasizes prevention before new systems are approved. This Bill was immediately put into an executive session following the hearing and was voted Ought To Pass “OTP” 14-0 through committee.

HB 1728 – Cybersecurity Protections for Critical Infrastructure

• HB 1728 establishes a statutory standard of care for operators of critical infrastructure technology systems, including water, wastewater, energy, communications, and transportation systems. Operators are required to take reasonable steps to protect systems from foreseeable cybersecurity risks. The bill creates a new statutory framework focused on safeguarding public health, safety, and essential services. This Bill also has an amendment to include all water and wastewater systems that have a hospital or business that would be included regardless of the size. This bill has a lot of questions, but we believe that SB 589 will be the correct path when looking at Cyber Security in NH.

SB 589 – Energy Infrastructure Planning, Microgrids, and Cybersecurity

• SB 589 directs the development of a multi‑agency report on electric transmission corridors, interstate trucking charging infrastructure, and port electrification. It authorizes a pilot program for microgrid development and requires cybersecurity guidelines for distributed energy resources. The bill integrates long‑term energy planning with resilience and cybersecurity considerations. Basically, there is a lot of stuff outside drinking water. However, this allows NHDES to work with stakeholders to develop rules for the future.

Together, these bills reflect a 2026 legislative emphasis on proactive risk management—combining technical expertise, environmental protection, cybersecurity standards, and strategic planning to safeguard New Hampshire’s water, energy, and critical infrastructure systems. NHWWA is still following over 40+ bills through the House and Senate covering a wide range of water, wastewater, lab and engineering. The easiest way to stay up to date is to sign up as a member of our legislative support team and you can find more information and join at any time, here >> Legislative Support

Members of NHWWA’s legislative advocacy community receive regular updates on the bills we follow. If you are not yet part of this group, I encourage you to join to stay informed and ahead of upcoming water legislation.

Legislative Advocacy Membership Rates

• Municipal & Private Membership: $0.18 per service connection
• Small Community Water Systems: $150
• Support Membership (vendors, professional firms): $300 annually

Thank you to all our members for your continued support while we work through this year’s legislative session at the State House.