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How does my beach compare to other beaches in the state?
How is the water today?
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?

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 ponds found at the Surface Water Quality Report Cards search through DES OneStop. Useful information on lakes and beaches can also be obtained from the Environmental Monitoring Database entered through the DES OneStop.
- Click on Go to OneStop Data Retrieval Site link. Then follow the link for Environmental Monitoring Data at the bottom of the left column.
- Select “Grab Samples” as the type of data to query and click the “Go” button.
- Fill in your email address so that results can be sent to you. Don’t select options for every box listed; the broader your search the more likely you will be successful. For example, toward the bottom, fill in the box for Beach Name. Use the drop-down arrow to select one from the list. You may also want to specify a Date Range, if you are interested in results from a particular time period.
- Submit your query. The results will be emailed to you shortly. Take note: When you open the Excel file containing the results, there will be multiple worksheets containing information—the data you are interested in should be contained in the second worksheet. If you want help interpreting the data, then from here: http://www2.des.state.nh.us/OneStop/Environmental_Monitoring_Query.aspx, click on “Interpreting the Data,” and then “Interpreting Beach Water Quality Data.”