Small PWS Help Center

This Small Systems Help Center is designed to assist New Hampshire public water systems serving up to 1,000 persons to sustainably provide safe drinking water by improving capabilities and capacities in three areas: technical (source water, infrastructure and operations); managerial (staffing, task planning and communications); and financial (billing and fiscal planning). With up to 58% of New Hampshire’s public small community water systems aged 40 years or older, the need to address the aging infrastructure is high and, if your public water system is experiencing challenges, it is not alone. This Small Systems Help Center is designed to help you address small and large challenges in sustainably providing safe and reliable drinking water. You can search your areas of interest by clicking on the applicable tabs below.

Technical Capacity

From collecting bacteria samples to communicating the need to water system commissioners for a new distribution system, technical capability depends on operator knowledge of the water system and regular monitoring, maintenance, recordkeeping, planning and communications. Water system operators and managers are critical technical partners in the health of the water system, because they have the most comprehensive and detailed knowledge about its condition. For community water systems, filling out the Asset Inventory of  the Small Systems Asset Management/Business Plan template is a very effective way to communicate a schedule of prioritized water system needs to decision makers. When bacteria are detected in routine samples, water systems must fill out a Level 1 Assessment Form and for repeated bacteria detections, have a certified operator fill out a Level 2 Assessment Form. Technical Help Resources

Managerial Capacity

Managing a water utility requires constant planning for short-term and long-term needs -- from technical staff to infrastructure needs such as a new water main or flood- and drought-proofing the water system. Therefore, managers stay informed by requesting regular operator status reports about the condition of the entire water system, from water sources through distribution; tracking water quality; managing risks to the system; tracking leakage and customer complaints and ensuring good recordkeeping. Communications with water customers is also a crucial aspect of good management, and the foundation of these communications for community systems is threefold: continuously updating contact information for each consumer having effective means to reach them and proactively reaching out to keep them informed. New to water systems? Try free Online Water Commissioner/Director Training. Managerial Help Resources

Financial Capacity

Good management of the water system must be linked with budgeting and fiscal planning to continue to provide enough safe drinking water over the long term for the needs of the customers. Although there is no way to achieve everything a water system wants with a limited budget, there is a way to properly budget in order to leverage maximum benefit to the water system within available funding. This process is called asset management, and it helps the board and utility make better-informed decisions about where, how, when and on what projects to spend money. Most small systems make use of loans and grants.  Use the Small Systems Asset Management/Business Plan to plan not only for future loans, but to assess whether your current water rate (which can be calculated even if your system doesn’t have service meters) and capital reserve account will cover the expected life of your most important assets.