DPW Press Releases

The City of Portsmouth NH will start urgent work in Vaughan Mall to replace the heavily deteriorated sewer and water lines. While the Mall is under construction, the City will also be upsizing the stormwater system to accommodate the additional flows that will be generated during future phases of the Fleet Street Reconstruction Project.

Construction on Vaughan Mall is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2025, and will continue through early December. To ensure accessibility during the winter months, the site is expected to be temporarily surfaced with asphalt.

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works hosted an open house with guided public tours of the Peirce Island Wastewater Facility (WWTF) and Road Resiliency Project on Saturday, May 31, 2025. City staff guided visitors through the facility and answered questions about the City’s wastewater treatment process and the raising of Peirce Island Road.

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works (DPW) marked the arrival of spring with Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, which served 254 participants, and with the annual Earth Day, and Arbor Day celebrations. DPW offers suggestions and reminders for the seasonal yard and garden cleanup and notice of a rechargeable battery disposal update.

The Department of Public Works Water Division begins its seasonal flushing of fire hydrants and water mains on Monday, April 14, 2025. The flushing will take place at various locations, Monday through Thursday, between 7 pm and 11 pm, and is expected to take six weeks to complete.

The City's Water Division has published the Annual Drinking Water Status Report for 2024.

City of Portsmouth NH DPW Hosts Elwyn Park Project Public Information Meeting on January 29, 2025

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works will start work on or about January 23, 2025, removing trees along the City’s sewer line right-of-way that parallels and serves the Route 1 corridor. This work is part of periodic maintenance of the line. The work extends cross-country from Hoover Drive, across Springbrook Circle to White Cedar Boulevard along the City’s 30 foot wide sewer easement and is shown circled in red in the graphic. 

The City Water Department has published the Water Supply Report for the Third Quarter of 2024. As detailed in the report the Third Quarter was marked by drought conditions per the U.S. Drought Monitor, but Portsmouth water systems were able to meet the demand while asking customers to be as efficient as possible in their water use.