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 few years have seen increasing extremes of drought and intense rainfall.

The reality of climate change remains abstract to many and a non-issue to a few.  However, detailed and long-term scientific measurements, analysis and predictions provide indisputable evidence that weather and climate are rapidly shifting, mainly due to human causes.  Higher temperatures, increased rainfall and flooding, and rising sea levels are predicted to adversely affect New Hampshire in the coming decades (see 2022 NH Climate Summary).  These trends have been increasingly noticeable during the past decade and the pace of change is accelerating.  There is ample proof that things aren’t the way they used to be.

Sufficient and sustainable clean water is essential for drinking, agriculture, and manufacturing.  In short – life.  Managing water resources in the face of rapid change is one of the critical challenges faced by public drinking water professionals.  You, too, can help provide clean water by protecting local ground and surface water sources, conserving what you use, and supporting your local drinking water provider.

Working together with proven tools will build resilience to the growing stresses of climate change.  Water is part of all of us – let’s be good neighbors and stewards of New Hampshire’s clean, fresh and life-giving water!

Win with Water! is an informational series to raise awareness and provide actionable steps to public water system managers, administrators, and policy makers.