Consultants present stormwater asset inventory, estimate $31.4 million replacement cost

Margaret Blank of Underwood Engineers presented the town’s draft stormwater asset management plan to the Town of Swanzey Select Board, saying the effort was funded by a $30,000 asset-management grant from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and that the Southwest Regional Planning Commission completed field data collection.

Blank said field crews evaluated about 1,583 of the town’s roughly 1,685 stormwater assets and assigned condition scores; about 102 assets could not be located or were paved over. The inventory and supporting photographs and maps were uploaded to the town’s ArcGIS Online account and a local ArcGIS Pro project for staff use.

The report breaks assets into structures (manholes, catch basins, drop inlets), end treatments, and 35,834 linear feet of stormwater pipe. Blank said roughly 10% of the known assets were rated in “poor” condition and that those poor-condition items should be reviewed to determine whether problems are maintenance- or structure-related. "If it’s a maintenance issue you…