DPW Press Releases

Portsmouth, New Hampshire – Now that the gardens of Prescott Park are at their summer peak, following weeks of planting, weeding and cultivation, the City of Portsmouth Parks & Greenery Department is inviting the public to join members of the gardening team for free weekly tours of the formal gardens.

Portsmouth, NH - The City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire will begin conducting a dye tracing study on Monday, July 29, 2019. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) will assist in the collection of data associated with the dye study. The study will continue into Tuesday, July 30, 2019.

The Department of Public Works with Greenman Pedersen, and Sargent Corporation is hosting a public meeting at the Department of Public Works on Thursday, August 8, 2019 at 6 p.m. to discuss construction of the next phase of the Maplewood Avenue and Adjacent Areas Project.  This phase includes Central Avenue, Cutts Street, Beechwood Street, Ashland Street, and Leslie Drive. The project includes, utility work, drainage improvements, and roadway reconstruction and paving.    

New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has notified Mayor Blalock that it has accepted the City of Portsmouth’s application to participate in the NHDOT’s Type II Noise Abatement Program and that the city is the first in the state determined eligible for the program.

State of New Hampshire Approves New Standards for Four PFAS Compounds

The City of Portsmouth is currently in compliance with current and proposed drinking water standards for Perflourinated compounds (PFAS).

City DPW crews will be installing bollards for the Middle Street bike lanes the week of July 1. The bollards are a critical safety feature of the bike lane design, as they serve to keep vehicles out of the bike lanes and to provide protection to bicyclists. In response to concerns expressed regarding the previous bollards, only about half the number of bollards will be installed this year, and will only be placed in critical locations where it is necessary to ensure safety of bicyclists and to guide traffic around parked vehicles.

July 4th - July 5th

In observance of Independence Day, Portsmouth City Hall, the Library, Department of Public Works, Senior Activity Center and Connie Bean Center will be closed on Thursday, July 4th.  The Library will close early, at 5 p.m., on July 3rd.  On Friday, July 5th, City Hall will remain closed.

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works has recently purchased a state of the art piece of equipment in efforts to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. The Parks and Greenery Group is leading this organic land management effort.  The machine is a GEOTEA compost tea brewer, and it is used to turn compost into a liquid biological soil amendment, or “liquid compost.” This “compost tea” is then applied to greenspaces, ball fields, trees, and flower beds throughout the City.

On Monday, June 17th 2019, construction activity will begin on the Hoover-Taft Area Drainage Improvements Project.  This project features construction of a new roadway drainage system on Hoover Drive and adjacent parts of Grant Ave, Taft Road, and FW Hartford Drive.  The new drainage system has been designed to alleviate roadway flooding during heavy rain events.