DPW Press Releases

The City’s Parking & Traffic Safety (PTS) Committee is holding a public information meeting on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at 6 pm in Council Chambers at City Hall. Just prior to the meeting, at 5:30 pm in Council Chambers, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is offering an informal opportunity for the public to review the I-95 Sound Barrier Project plans. The sound barrier project is expected to start in Spring 2024 and is part of the NHDOT Ten Year Plan.

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works is already in the process of preparing for the Winter 2023-24 season and reports some new procedures and tips for ensuring safe winter weather operations for drivers, pedestrians, and City staff.

The City of Portsmouth was notified on September 29, 2023 that it has received $965,333 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) from the Federal Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program through the NH Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for the Peirce Island Road Resiliency Project. The City applied for the grant for a project to provide consistent access to the Pierce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF), a critical municipal service.

During this October 2023 Lead Poisoning Awareness Week the City of Portsmouth is offering homeowners information resources about testing for lead in their paint and water. For details go to more information.

In a phone call to Mayor Deaglan McEachern on September 25, 2023, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg extended his congratulations to the City of Portsmouth on being selected for the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program. The City applied for a $460,000 grant to cover the cost of the engineering studies necessary to reconfigure the Bartlett Street underpass and railroad bridge.

The NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) joined the New Hampshire Water Pollution Control Association to present the 2023 NHDES Wastewater Plant of the Year Award to the City of Portsmouth for the Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility at the August 21, 2023 City Council Meeting.

CAPTION: The Wastewater Plant of the Year Award ceremony included (left to right) John Adie and Director Rene Pelletier, NH Department of Environmental Services; Terry Desmarais, Underwood Engineers/Portsmouth; City DPW staff Chris Kelly, Deputy Director Brian Goetz, Director Peter Rice, Kevin Daley, Erik Meserve, Stephen Roger, Jon Pearson, Peter Conroy (Peirce Island WWTF Chief Plant Operator), City Engineer Erich Fiedler and Aaron Bickford; Deputy City Manager Suzanne Woodland and Mayor Deaglan McEachern.

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The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works will hold its biannual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the Public Works facility at 680 Peverly Hill Road. Residents of Portsmouth, Greenland and Newington are encouraged to bring household chemicals for safe disposal between 8 am and 12 noon. Proof of residency is required.

The Department of Public Works Parks & Greenery Division is trimming, mowing, and conducting garden maintenance as the rains of June give way to abundant plant growth. Prescott Park Garden Tours on Fridays and the seeding in recent construction areas such as Pannaway Park are seasonal reminders of the effort to sustain the urban forest, green spaces and the City’s environment.