Discolored water results when water traveling through the water mains reaches high enough velocities to stir the sediment lying in the bottom of the water mains. Water main breaks, fire fighting activities, and extremely high system demand are typical causes of discolored water. There are no health risks associated with this type of problem, as the particulate matter causing the discoloration is not harmful.

The Winter of 2015 was very cold for an extended period of time and this resulted in numerous water customer freeze-ups. In anticipation of another cold, snowy winter, the City of Portsmouth’s water and sewer billing department is sending this notice out to help our customers prepare

PORTSMOUTH, NH - The City of Portsmouth has been named a recipient of the 2015 Water Sustainability Award by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). This award was presented at the Source Water Protection Conference on Wednesday, May 6th, honoring the Portsmouth Water Department for their continued, innovative service to its customers.