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Manchester tells committee aging water system from 1948 needs replacement to keep growth possible
Summary
Mayor and public works official said Manchester’s water mains (installed 1948) and reservoir are failing; city seeks state help to fund replacement and prevent asbestos-related deterioration and rising costs for residents.
Representatives from Manchester told the Capital Investment Committee on March 6 that the city’s water system — much of it installed in 1948 — is in critical need of replacement, including asbestos-concrete main segments and an aging reservoir. The city said frequent flaking and pipe deterioration are accelerating and that capital upgrades are necessary to maintain safe service and allow limited future growth.
Mayor Stephen Hanegraaffs said the city has roughly 54 residential connections and a population near 60; public works leader Mark Rownhorst described the system as “in poor shape” with an aging reservoir and earlier 2010 sewer work that routed wastewater to a neighboring community. Committee members asked about household counts and whether septic alternatives were feasible; presenters said individual septic systems are not viable throughout the community because of density and prior investments in centralized sewer. No formal committee action was taken at the hearing.
