Water Distribution

The City of Concord’s water distribution system contains 172 miles of City-owned pipe in various sizes ranging from 4” to 24” in diameter. Approximately 4 million gallons of potable water is transported from the Water Treatment Plant each day through the distribution system to approximately 12,000 service connections in the city. The Highway and Utilities Division of Concord General Services has a water crew dedicated to maintaining the City’s water distribution system.

Responsibility

Our water crew maintains water infrastructure within the City Right-of-Way, which is typically from the middle of the street to the back of the sidewalk, or 8’ to 10’ from the edge of the pavement if there is no sidewalk. The property owner is responsible for the maintenance of water service after the curb box (water shut-off valve).

The water service line is the pipe that transports water from the water main in the street to a private property (residential or commercial). The City is responsible to maintain the water service line from the water main up to the curb box, while the property owner is responsible to maintain the rest of the water service line after the curb box. Water service lines for residential properties are typically ¾” or 1” in diameter and made of copper, while commercial properties generally have a service line of 2” to 8” in diameter and are made of copper up to 2”, or ductile iron for any size over 2”. Roots, fatigue, foreign objects, freezing, and damage are all issues that can cause a problem with a water service line. Our water crew is responsible to maintain the service line from the water main to the curb box, which is located near the property line, but the property owner maintains all plumbing inside of the house to the property line.

Visit our Water Service Lines page to learn more about service lines: www.concordnh.gov/waterservicelines. 

Maintenance

The water crew maintains the City’s water infrastructure regularly to ensure all operations are fully functional at all times. Water mains are flushed each spring to remove any sediment and maintain water quality. Main valves are cleaned and checked to ensure lines are open and working properly. In the instance of a water break or a water leak, water service is shut off to make necessary repairs. Service connections are continuously being repaired, located, and discontinued. Any water concerns regarding pressure, odor, or color are investigated by the water crew. Oftentimes, these concerns can be related to nearby construction or a water leak/break. Maintenance of the City’s water system is crucial to keeping water flowing throughout the community.

Fire Hydrants

General Services’ crews also make sure fire hydrants are always in proper working order. The marking and proper maintenance of public (orange) and private (yellow) fire hydrants is a requirement of our Highway and Utilities Division and the Concord Fire Department. Hydrants need to be visible and always be easily accessible (cleared out from any high grass, snow, etc.) in the interest of public safety.

Construction

A homeowner or contractor can hire the water crew to install a new service line or hydrant line up to the property line. During new construction, the water crew serves as a contractor to the person requesting the construction services. These contracted services do require a charge. A full deposit of the estimate is required before initiating new construction. The customer will pay or be refunded the balance after work completion.