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The Gas & Water Division assists the Commission in regulating 20 water utilities and five sewer utilities in New Hampshire. The 20 water utilities own approximately 100 separate systems, ranging in size from 26 customers to about 26,000. Pennichuck Water Works is the largest, serving the greater Nashua area as well as a number of smaller systems in the southern part of the state. The number of regulated water utilities has declined considerably in recent years, primarily due to the acquisition of smaller utilities by larger ones. Whereas the Commission regulated 39 water utilities in 1999, today it regulates 20. This is a trend that has taken place across the country, as requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the need for replacement of aging infrastructure have made it increasingly difficult for small water utilities to acquire the capital needed to invest in their systems.
The 20 water utilities regulated by the PUC serve only around 15% of all of New Hampshire’s residents. The large majority of residents are served by either a municipal utility or by private wells. It is estimated that 38% of New Hampshire residents receive their water from private, on-site wells.
The Commission regulates five investor-owned sewer utilities in the state. The largest of these is Eastman Sewer Company, which serves about 535 customers in the Town of Grantham, and Bodwell Waste Services Corporation, which serves about 450 customers in a limited area of Manchester and Londonderry.
Linked below are listings of the regulated water and sewer utilities and their current average rates charged.
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