DPW Press Releases

A public input meeting for the Maplewood Avenue Downtown Complete Street Project will be held on Monday, November 13th at 7 p.m. in the School Board Conference Room at City Hall. 

The City of Portsmouth’s Department of Public Works employed the services of two University of New Hampshire students who interned in their Geographic Information System (GIS) department this year. Working under the guidance of the City’s GIS Coordinator, Jamie McCarty, Taylor Patterson and Jacob Kostandin used global positioning equipment, cameras and own observations to inspect the City’s water infrastructure and compile data for other City initiatives.

The Portsmouth Department of Public Works will hold its biannual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, October 28th 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 8:00 a.m. and noon. Proof of residency is required..

The Portsmouth Plains Playground, located on the corner of Middle Road and Islington Street, is temporarily closed due to a bee infestation. Public Works is currently treating this issue and will notify the community when it reopens. In the meantime, residents are advised to keep their families away from this area.

The Water Department will begin their twice annual routine hydrant flushing of the City’s 190 miles of water mains to remove sediment buildup on Monday, October 16th. This work will occur on both public and private hydrants spanning New Castle, Rye, Greenland, Newington and Portsmouth, lasting about six to eight weeks. Between 8:00 p.m. and midnight, Monday through Thursday, crews will open select fire hydrants, releasing water with enough velocity to carry sediment out of the pipes. While flushing can result in discolorations to tap water, the water remains safe for residents to drink.

Portsmouth’s Water Division issues a monthly Water Supply Status Report to keep customers appraised of the current water supply conditions. This resource provides customers detailed information on any potential water restrictions, demand, precipitation, groundwater levels, river flows and reservoir levels to make customers aware not only of the current conditions but to also bring awareness to their water use.

On Wednesday, October 11th, weather permitting, pavement crack sealing operations are scheduled to begin in Portsmouth. The following roads and neighborhoods have been selected for treatment, and will be completed as time and budget allows:

• Maple Haven Neighborhood
• Market Street (from Albacore Way to Interstate 95)
• South Street (from Lafayette Road to Junkins Avenue)
• Jones Avenue
• Elwyn Park Neighborhood

*Additional roads may be added if schedule and budget allow.

Every month, the Portsmouth Water Division issues a Water Supply Status Report to customers that provides a detailed assessment of the current water supply conditions. The September report details that while precipitation is still slightly low based on seasonal averages, the groundwater levels, reservoir levels and river flow rates are within typical ranges for this time of year. Therefore, no water use restrictions are being enforced at this time.

On Monday, September 18th, work will begin on both Walker Bungalow Road and Sudbury Street.

On Walker Bungalow Road, the City’s contractor, John H. Lyman and Sons, will be constructing a water main replacement in the area just north of Shaw Road where utility crews stopped work last fall. The project proposes to install about 280’ of new water pipe in the area – spanning from 137 to 189 Walker Bungalow – in order to eliminate this final section of old water main.

Since April, the Department of Public Works has been working with Eversource and Affinity LED Lighting to assist in converting all of its high pressure sodium (HPS) street lights to Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. With this citywide implementation, the City will experience further reductions in energy consumption, costs and light pollution, along with improved visibility and safety on the roads.