The virtual 2023 Water Infrastructure Funding Workshop will be held from April 10 through 14, and will focus on infrastructure funding programs administered by NHDES. Topics will include NHDES funding program updates, Build America Buy America (BABA), application assistance, cybersecurity, asset management and more!

Who Should Attend: Current/future loan recipients, community/financial decision makers, public works directors, city/town managers, municipal and regional planners, consultants/engineers, operators, and others interested in the NHDES-administered funding programs.

Please see the agenda to access the registration links for reach session.

Cost: FREE

Credits: 1 Technical Contact Hour (TCH) / 0.1 Continuing Education Credit (CEU) per session hour

Please contact us if you have any questions:

Kim Kelliher, Kim.C.Kelliher@des.nh.gov
Jennifer Brady, Jennifer.E.Brady@des.nh.gov

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) announced today that Governor Chris Sununu and the Executive Council, at recent meetings, have approved multiple projects, in a combination of grant and loan funds, for needed drinking water and wastewater system improvements, totaling more than $18.6 million. NHDES provided the funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), the Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund (DWGTF), the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). NHDES has offered over $150 million in funding for more than 260 projects, which are in the process of finalizing their proposals to NHDES for submission to the Governor and Executive Council for approval. More information about the projects can be found in today’s press release.

The virtual workshop will be held from April 10 through 14, and will focus on infrastructure funding programs administered by NHDES. Topics will include NHDES funding program updates, Build America Buy America (BABA), application assistance, cybersecurity, asset management and more!

Who Should Attend: Current/future loan recipients, community/financial decision makers, public works directors, city/town managers, municipal and regional planners, consultants/engineers, operators, and others interested in the NHDES-administered funding programs.

Registration information and a preliminary agenda will be sent out at a later date.

Please contact us if you have any questions:

Kim Kelliher, at (603) 271-1408 or Kim.C.Kelliher@des.nh.gov
Jennifer Brady, at (603) 271-8522 or Jennifer.E.Brady@des.nh.gov

NHDES has published a new story map that highlights all of the ARPA-funded projects in New Hampshire. NHDES has offered over $100 million in funding for more than 200 drinking water, wastewater and resiliency infrastructure projects, which are in the process of getting final approval from the Governor and Executive Council. As more projects are approved, NHDES will add them to this map.

Many of these projects are being assisted with a combination of grant and loan funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).

Take a look at the Infrastructure Funding Projects At-a-Glance story map!

The online application for NHDES’ ARPA-funded Dam Rehabilitation/Removal Grant Program for Municipally Owned High Hazard Dams is now available for eligible applicants. Please note that only 15 municipally owned dams qualify for this funding opportunity; see a list of these dams. The application deadline is Friday, July 29, at 4 PM. Please refer to the Application Instructions and Evaluation Criteria as you fill out your application and go to our Dam Rehabilitation/Removal Grant Program webpage for more information. You can also watch a recording of the webinar NHDES held on June 22, 2022, to discuss the funding opportunity in detail.

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) announced Monday that Governor Chris Sununu and the Executive Council, at recent meetings, have approved multiple projects, in a combination of grant and loan funds, for needed drinking water and wastewater system improvements, as well as some other related projects totaling more than $6 million. NHDES provided the funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan programs. NHDES has offered over $100 million in funding for more than 200 projects, which are in the process of finalizing their proposals to NHDES for submission to the Governor and Executive Council for approval. More information about the projects that have been approved can be found in the press release on the NHDES website.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has instituted a new Dam Rehabilitation/Removal Grant Program for Municipally Owned High Hazard Dams using American Rescue Plan Act funds. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to encourage the rehabilitation or removal of municipally owned high hazard dams that are considered to be in poor or unsatisfactory condition. The goal is to make them compliant with current state dam safety standards or remove them and eliminate the risk to life and property that they pose. Rehabilitation/removing such dams will reduce or eliminate risk to lives and property within potentially inundated areas downstream of those dams. 

Eligible applicants include New Hampshire municipalities and municipal subdivisions that own one or more high hazard dams rated in Poor or Unsatisfactory condition. Total anticipated funding available for this grant program is approximately $5 million.

A webinar explaining the application process will be held at 11:30 AM on June 22. To register for this event, click on the registration link. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with the link to join the webinar on June 22. For more information, see the Dam Rehabilitation/Removal Grant Program webpage.

PORTSMOUTH, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is accepting Culvert Flood Risk Assistance Grant applications for the replacement of outdated, undersized, perched, and/or degraded culverts that are highly susceptible to flooding. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to encourage the replacement of high-risk culverts with better designed crossings that meet improved structural and environmental design standards and flood resiliency criteria. Incorporating these standards into culvert replacement designs will reduce flood hazards and risks to public safety, including culvert failure and road washout.

Eligible applicants include New Hampshire municipalities and non-governmental organizations. Total anticipated funding available for the Culvert Flood Risk Assistance Grant Program is approximately $1,000,000. Funds are made available to NHDES through the American Rescue Plan Act.  

Applicants may request a maximum of $400,000 per culvert replacement project. A portion of the grant award may be used to fund non-construction related activities, including engineering and design, permitting, bidding/construction contract services, and project management and reporting, up to a maximum of 20% of the grant award. A match commitment will not be requested for this grant program.

For instructions, evaluation criteria, and to access the application form, visit the Culvert Flood Risk Assistance Grant Program webpage. Applications must be submitted using the online application form no later than 4:00 PM ET on Friday, July 1, 2022.

Please contact NHDES Watershed Management Specialist Ben Sweeney at (603) 559-0021 or benjamin.r.sweeney1@des.nh.gov with inquiries about this funding opportunity.

Announcing the 2022 DWSRF Pre-Application Solicitation!  

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is now accepting pre-applications for the 2022 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) for drinking water infrastructure projects. Community public water systems and non-community/non-transient non-profit public water systems are eligible to apply for important water system projects such as replacing water mains, lead service lines inventory and replacement, new pump houses, developing new sources, rehabilitating tanks, treatment systems, or upgrading meters. The program includes principal forgiveness for eligible disadvantaged, year-round communities.

The Drinking Water and Groundwater Advisory Commission looks to fund projects that are determined to be “ready”.  A ready project is one that has exhausted non-DWGTF funding options.  The Commission recognizes the significant contribution to funding water system improvement projects by the DWSRF program.  Learning about the DWSRF program and the new funding sources for 2022 is important if a water system is intending to apply to the DWGTF in the fall.

The DWSRF Pre-application is available online at: 2022 DWSRF Pre-Application Form

Pre-application Deadline: June 1, 2022 (by midnight)

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

Remaining grant funds from NHDES’ America’s Rescue Plan Act are available and will be combined with DWSRF offers as funding allows.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)

BIL is providing new funding in addition to the annual DWSRF allotment for the next five years. This supplemental funding will help water systems tackle lead and emerging contaminant issues. The new Lead Service Line (LSL) SRF and Emerging Contaminants (EC) SRF programs provide funding specifically for LSL inventory and replacement and efforts to address emerging contaminants with a focus on PFAS and Manganese. Costs for LSL and EC projects and/or components must be identified in the pre-application.

Plans for the new BIL funding programs are still being developed including eligibility for increased subsidy amounts so we strongly recommend you submit a pre-application for your drinking water infrastructure projects.

Check out the DWSRF Webpage for more information about the DWSRF program.

2022 NH Water Infrastructure Funding Workshop Webinar Series- STARTS Monday, April 11

The 2022 Water Infrastructure Funding Webinar Series is April 11-15, 2022. The program will include a series of 1 hour sessions focusing on funding program updates and educational opportunities. Click on the agenda link to access the registration information for each session.

 Contact Johnna McKenna (johnna.mckenna@des.nh.gov) of the NHDES Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau if you have any questions.