Overall Beach Water Quality - Frequently Asked Questions - Beach Inspection Program

Beach Inspection Program
Program Home Overview Hot Topics Publications Rules/Regulatory Education/Outreach Technical Assistance Forms/Applications Volunteers Resources/Links FAQs Contact Us

Water Division
Water Home Division Overview Programs/Bureaus/Units Rules/Regulatory Publications Contact Us

The Department
Commissioner's Office Air Resources Division Waste Management Div. Water Division Councils and Boards

How does my beach compare to other beaches in the state?
You can compare results from beach sampling using the Environmental Monitoring Database on DES One Stop (see question 7 for directions), or using surface water quality report cards on DES One Stop (select “Surface Water Quality Report Cards” instead of “Environmental Monitoring Data” on the One Stop page).

How is the water today?
It takes approximately 24 hours to analyze a bacteria sample, so results cannot be immediately determined. You may call the DES Beach program at (603) 271-3503 to obtain results from the previous day. Cyanobacteria sample results, however, can be analyzed within a few hours. You can obtain the most recent beach advisory information through the DES website at http://www2.des.state.nh.us/Advisories/Beaches/ , the Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/NHDES_BEACHES, or by signing up for our email mailing list on the Media Center's > Join the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services E-Mail Mailing List web page.

I am thinking of purchasing waterfront property on a New Hampshire waterbody. What information on water quality is available to me through the DES monitoring programs and how do I access it?
You can obtain information on lake and pond quality using surface water quality data report cards found on DES One Stop. To get to this site click on the “One Stop” icon on the DES homepage, then click on “Go to One Stop Data Retrieval Site, and finally click on “Surface Water Quality Report Cards.” You can also obtain useful information from environmental monitoring data on the DES One Stop site as well. To get to this information follow the directions in question #7, and enter “water body name” as your criteria.