Summary of New Hampshire's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Centralized Non-potable Reuse
This page is part of the EPA’s REUSExplorer tool, which summarizes the different state level regulations or guidelines for water reuse for a variety of sources and end-uses.
The source water for this summary is Treated Municipal Wastewater.
On this page:
- Technical basis
- Applications of centralized non-potable reuse approved for use in New Hampshire
- Water reuse treatment category for centralized non-potable reuse
- Additional context and definitions
- Centralized non-potable reuse specifications (table)
- Upcoming state law or policy
- References
- Disclaimer
This page is a summary of the state’s water reuse law or policy and is provided for informational purposes only. Please always refer to the state for the most accurate and updated information.
Technical basis
New Hampshire approves the reuse of reclaimed water for centralized non-potable reuse applications including snowmaking for ski slopes and recreational areas (NHDES, 2020). This snow is referred to as ‘effluent snow’ or ‘e-snow’ (NHDES, 2020). All applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.), including its implementing regulations, must be met in addition to any state water quality standards. Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators related to centralized non-potable reuse and are summarized in the table. The technical basis for developing the specifications and/or removals of microbial contaminants, chemicals, and other relevant indicators is not explicitly specified.
Applications of centralized non-potable reuse approved for use in New Hampshire
NHDES (2020) defines the following approved water reuse for centralized non-potable reuse applications:
Snowmaking for ski slopes and recreational areas
Water reuse treatment category for centralized non-potable reuse applications
New Hampshire does not provide specific water reuse categories or classes but does provide treatment specifications for each specific use. The respective treatment requirements are briefly summarized for water reuse for centralized non-potable reuse.
Tertiary treatment is required for nutrient removal due to the potential for human contact followed by advanced (ultra) filtration to achieve adequate removals for viral pathogens (i.e., a 4-log reduction) (NHDES, 2020). Disinfection is also included in the treatment process at a location appropriate for the facility’s design (NHDES, 2020).
Additional context and definitions
In New Hampshire, a groundwater discharge permit issued by NHDES is the primary mechanism regulating wastewater reclamation activities (NHDES, 2020). The groundwater discharge permitting process requires site hydrogeological work, proposals for an appropriate groundwater monitoring well network, a water quality monitoring program and sampling plan and other activities specified in NHDES (2020).
New Hampshire requires that signage be posted around any treated wastewater storage pond and direct access to the pond should be restricted (NHDES, 2020). Because snowmaking is a seasonal use, facilities must have either adequate storage capacity for off-season flows or an alternative method of disposal (NHDES, 2020). Alternative disposal method(s) can be used in conjunction with conventional groundwater disposal systems or with a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for off-season discharges (NHDES, 2020). A NPDES permit may also be required if the treated wastewater is stored in ponds that outlet to surface water and/or tributaries (NHDES, 2020).
Employees tasked with system operation and maintenance must also be provided with safety instruction that includes awareness training of the health and safety risks associated with wastewater (NHDES, 2020). New Hampshire requires that the delivery system be monitored at all times E-snow is being produced or transferred from the treatment works to ensure that the effluent maintains a safe and consistent quality (NHDES, 2020). This infrastructure should include a notification protocol and fail-safe devices to stop use or transfer of the effluent if treatment and/or disinfection is interrupted or malfunctions (NHDES, 2020). This approach is considered by New Hampshire as necessary to eliminate the possibility of untreated wastewater being transferred into the snowmaking ponds or used for E-snow (NHDES, 2020).
Centralized non-potable reuse specifications
Summary of New Hampshire's Centralized Non-potable Reuse Specifications
Recycled Water Class/Category (Approved Uses) | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Snowmaking for ski slopes and recreational areas (also referred to as effluent snow or e-snow) | Reclaimed wastewater | 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) | ≤10 mg/L | Not specified |
Total suspended solids (TSS) | ≤5 mg/L | |||
Nitrate (NO3) | Surface Water Quality Dependanta | |||
Phosphorous | Surface Water Quality Dependanta | |||
Fecal coliform | Not detected (7 day median)
14 CFU/100 (1-day maximum) | |||
Turbidity | 2 NTU (or meet TSS limit of 5 mg/L) | |||
Viruses | 4-log removal from ultrafiltration |
Source= NHDES (2020)
* Information about sampling and monitoring requirements such as frequency, site and quantification methods not specifically listed in the table was not explicitly specified in the State-specific regulations.
a Effluent limits will be established for E-snow discharges for ski areas and other recreational use on a case-by-case basis relative to the requirement to remain in compliance with state surface water quality standards and criteria (NHDES, 2020).
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming state law or policy related to centralized non-potable reuse were found for New Hampshire.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). 2020. Land Treatment and Disposal of Reclaimed Wastewater: Guidance for Groundwater Discharge Permitting.
Please contact us at waterreuse@epa.gov if the information on this page needs updating or if this state is updating or planning to update its laws and policies and we have not included that information on the news page.