DPW Press Releases

The Seacoast area is currently in a Moderate Drought according to the US Drought Monitor program. There has only been 2.6 inches of precipitation in the area since May 2025. This is about 6.4 inches below normal for this period. The recent dry and hot weather has also caused a spike in water demand up to 5.7 million gallons per day (MGD) on average, which exceeds the 10-year average for August of 5.0 MGD. 

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works will hold the next semiannual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at the Public Works facility at 680 Peverly Hill Road. Residents of Portsmouth, Greenland, and Newington are encouraged to bring household chemicals for safe disposal between 8 am and 12 noon. Collection Day is organized as a drive-through service. Residents remain in their vehicles and pull through the Public Works garage, where staff will remove disposable items from car trunks.

The City of Portsmouth NH will start urgent work in Vaughan Mall to replace the heavily deteriorated sewer and water lines. While the Mall is under construction, the City will also be upsizing the stormwater system to accommodate the additional flows that will be generated during future phases of the Fleet Street Reconstruction Project.

Construction on Vaughan Mall is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2025, and will continue through early December. To ensure accessibility during the winter months, the site is expected to be temporarily surfaced with asphalt.

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works hosted an open house with guided public tours of the Peirce Island Wastewater Facility (WWTF) and Road Resiliency Project on Saturday, May 31, 2025. City staff guided visitors through the facility and answered questions about the City’s wastewater treatment process and the raising of Peirce Island Road.

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works (DPW) marked the arrival of spring with Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, which served 254 participants, and with the annual Earth Day, and Arbor Day celebrations. DPW offers suggestions and reminders for the seasonal yard and garden cleanup and notice of a rechargeable battery disposal update.

The Department of Public Works Water Division begins its seasonal flushing of fire hydrants and water mains on Monday, April 14, 2025. The flushing will take place at various locations, Monday through Thursday, between 7 pm and 11 pm, and is expected to take six weeks to complete.

The City's Water Division has published the Annual Drinking Water Status Report for 2024.

City of Portsmouth NH DPW Hosts Elwyn Park Project Public Information Meeting on January 29, 2025

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works will start work on or about January 23, 2025, removing trees along the City’s sewer line right-of-way that parallels and serves the Route 1 corridor. This work is part of periodic maintenance of the line. The work extends cross-country from Hoover Drive, across Springbrook Circle to White Cedar Boulevard along the City’s 30 foot wide sewer easement and is shown circled in red in the graphic.