City of Dover

Amount Appropriated?

$3.5M

FFID tracks stages 1–2 — stages 3–5 vary by agency, assistance type, and earmark structure.

Project Description

The Seacoast communities of New Hampshire currently have their own sources of supplies for drinking water systems. Due to geography and infrastructure limitations, the ability to interconnect, for emergency purposes, between systems operated north and south of the Piscataqua River are limited. With the replacement of the General Sullivan Bridge over the river, there is an opportunity to create an interconnection between systems operated by Dover and Portsmouth, at Hilton Point and Bloody Point in Newington.\n \n In times of emergency or temporary need, there is no current plan to address water shortages between these communities, and the need to provide safe drinking water for to residents and businesses is a primary role local government\u2019s play. This project prepares the communities involved for a future if a municipality had a water emergency such as major water main breaks, fires, drought, or the contamination of a water source.\n \n This is a large, regional, undertaking which will positively impact 12 communities (see map) and their respective water systems. It is currently estimated to cost approximately, $9,000,000. If not for substantial funding from the Federal government, there is a low likelihood this project would move forward to completion, as the costs to the local tax/rate payer will be overwhelming. \n \n The project would improve water system resiliency by providing a connection between existing regional water systems in the New Hampshire communities of Rochester, Somersworth, Rollinsford, and Dover to the north of the proposed connection and the New Hampshire communities of Newington, Portsmouth, New Castle, Greenland, Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, and Seabrook to the south. The total population served by this project is 66,688 in the northern communities and 80,760 in the south for a total of 147,448.