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Atkinson water committee outlines testing, outreach and limits to expanded supply
Summary
Atkinson’s Water Resource Committee told the Planning Board it has begun outreach and testing work — including PFAS sampling — but said a full groundwater evaluation will require consultants and regional coordination because of upstream constraints in Derry.
The Atkinson Planning Board heard an update April 1 from the town’s Water Resource Committee, which said it has moved from orientation to substantive work on water systems, testing and public outreach.
Jake McManus, chair of the Water Resource Committee, said the team has spent its first year rebuilding and orienting members and has begun coordinating with outside experts, including the HAWC general manager and representatives from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, to better understand both public water infrastructure and private wells. The committee emphasized testing for PFAS and broader water-quality monitoring as an early priority.
The committee described state testing programs that include both free and paid options; some programs provide in-home testing while others require residents to collect and deliver samples. Committee members said increasing public participation and awareness — through website updates, educational materials and possible instructional videos showing how to collect and interpret samples — is a near-term goal.
Board members and committee representatives also discussed the Master Plan action item to complete a comprehensive groundwater evaluation. Participants agreed that the technical scope is large and likely beyond the committee’s capacity, and that the town will need to secure external consultants and coordinate with state agencies and regional water providers to complete the work.
Officials noted a regional infrastructure constraint in Derry described as a “pinch point” that limits current opportunities to expand water availability to Atkinson; interviewees said ongoing upstream improvements may eventually create capacity for expanded service but that, for now, expansion is constrained by upstream limitations.
Next steps identified at the workshop included ramping up public outreach and pursuing consultant support and interagency coordination for groundwater evaluation. The board did not take formal action on funding or contracting at this meeting.
The Planning Board is scheduled to meet next on April 15, 2026.
