Drought Status – Sudden Storms and Less Water It seems contradictory, but in spite of sudden storms soaking small areas of the state and toppling trees with thrashing winds, New Hampshire’s drought conditions are worsening. Interestingly, climate models don’t predict substantial changes in total precipitation, rather, the intensity, timing, and location are expected to change. […]
Category Archives: Hot Topics
Water, Water Everywhere – NOT! New Hampshire and the Northeast have always been considered “water rich”, with plentiful and predictable rain and snow, moderate temperatures, and a bounty of green forests, clear lakes and flowing streams. While gifted with considerably more moisture than the parched land and people in much of the country, the past […]
Time and Money – Building Lost Capacity Until very recently, federal funding for public water infrastructure had steadily declined for four decades. During this time, much of our domestic manufacturing capacity moved offshore, creating extended and complex supply chains and loss of our ability to build critical equipment. Our aging labor force is exacerbated by […]
The PFAS Dilemma – Our Societal Problem A lot of us have heard about – or experienced first-hand – the class of toxic “forever chemicals” known as “PFAS”. Toxic, because the USEPA has just released interim health goals of 0 for human consumption. Forever because they break down very slowly in the environment. New Hampshire […]
New PFAS Health Advisories – June 15, 2022 The EPA has just released new interim goals for selected PFAS compounds (PFOA and PFOS) in drinking water. These values only consider potential health impacts, and do not include critical factors such as laboratory detection limits, and treatment feasibility and cost. For example, EPA’s interim goals are substantially […]
Stewarding Your Most Valuable Asset Last time we wrote about managing the mechanical and electrical parts of a public drinking water system. The other half of the equation – and arguably the most important – are the professionals that keep the system running. Nearly every business is competing for new employees, while 25% of the […]
Drought Monitoring and Prediction Current, historical, and predicted drought conditions and information for New Hampshire from NH Department of Environmental Services.
Asset Management for Water – Be a Winner! The public drinking water system is one a town’s most valuable assets, yet most of us know little to nothing about its extent and value, or what it takes to reliably deliver safe, clean, and affordable water. “Asset management” is a system that inventories and tracks the […]
Cybersecurity – The Time is NOW! Have you ever been spammed, hacked, or had your personal computer crash? Then you know how invasive, aggravating, and time-consuming recovery can be. Imagine your bank, local food store, or public water supply held hostage by malevolent actors seeking ransom, or perhaps only a sick thrill. In an increasingly […]
Source Water – Can’t Drink What You Don’t Have This article explains the importance of preserving and protecting the source of your drinking water. Whether a pond, lake, or stream, or that field along the river where your wells are located, drinking water sources must be managed to maintain their long-term integrity. Maintaining and protecting […]