EPA To Improve Stormwater Management Across New Hampshire

CONCORD, N.H. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would work to improve New Hampshire's water quality by focusing on improved stormwater management across the state yesterday.

In a release, the EPA said a new permit (which EPA issued in 2017 but has not yet taken effect) will update stormwater management efforts across the state's urbanized areas that will better protect rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, and wetlands from harmful pollutants in many communities.

The updated permit that will help clean up New Hampshire waters and alleviate flooding by improving stormwater management in municipalities by find and eliminate illegal sewage discharges from stormwater systems; implement common-sense practices to keep pollution out of stormwater—for example, better street sweeping and cleaning of stormwater catch basins; and making sure that new development incorporates modern stormwater management, to avoid adding to the problem.

While updating ecological protection, the permit also maximizes flexibility for individual municipalities to tailor their efforts to individual needs and local conditions, it said.

"EPA has worked very hard with local and state officials to develop permits that reflect a practical, common-sense approach to protect and restore New Hampshire's waterways," said EPA Region 1 Administrator Alexandra Dunn. "We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure we provide communities with a great deal of flexibility in local management practices and maintain the highest water quality."

In addition to water quality impacts, changing rain patters have increased the volume of stormwater that small "Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems" (MS4s) must handle, leading to increased flooding risk throughout New Hampshire.

You can find more information on the updated MS4 Permit for New Hampshire communities and extensive background materials here, https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/new-hampshire-small-ms4-general-permit.

New Hampshire towns and cities included in project are:

• Allenstown
• Amherst
• Atkinson
• Auburn
• Bedford
• Danville
• Derry
• Dover
• Durham
• Exeter
• Goffstown
• Greenland
• Hampstead
• Hampton
• Hollis
• Hooksett
• Hudson
• Kingston
• Litchfield
• Londonderry
• Manchester
• Merrimack
• Milford
• Milton
• Nashua
• New Castle
• Newmarket*
• Newton
• North Hampton
• Pelham
• Pembroke*
• Plaistow
• Portsmouth
• Raymond*
• Rochester
• Rollinsford
• Rye
• Salem
• Sandown
• Seabrook
• Somersworth
• Stratham*
• Wilton*
• Windham