The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights:
Mosquitoes
A case of mosquito borne illness (Jamestown Canyon virus) has been confirmed in Loudon. For this reason, anyone living in Concord and surrounding towns should take precautions to help avoid mosquito bites. Included is some guidance from the CDC which includes wearing protective clothing, use of an effective insect repellent, and eliminating standing water around residential and commercial areas.
Drought
As of July 9, Concord is still experiencing moderate drought conditions. Precipitation for Concord is still below average for this time of year by about 4.43 inches. The City’s Water Treatment Facility was pumping at record highs a few weeks ago, pushing 7.5 MGD (millions of gallons per day). The facility averaged 6.8 MGD two weeks ago, 5.1 MGD last week, and is now increasing again to 5.65 MGD so far this week with anticipation for a continued increase into the weekend. The average for this period is 5.5 MGD. This confirms that high consumption is due to irrigation, as originally suspected. Consumption started to decrease in coordination with recent rain and is now starting to increase once again. We thank everyone for watering wisely. Please continue to do so. We encourage everyone to minimize outdoor water as much as possible.
Currently there are no water restrictions in place for Concord. Water supply levels at Penacook Lake remain decent while supplementing from the Contoocook River. However, it is possible that restrictions could be instituted if the high demand returns. Water conservation is still strongly advised, especially in regards to irrigation and outdoor use. Please use water wisely. Water customers should conserve water as a proactive measure to maintain our water resource. Simple measures to take when conserving water include minimizing irrigation, lawn watering, and inspecting systems for water leaks. If watering is needed, please water at night or early morning to minimize evaporation and consider using weather-based irrigation controllers to avoid unnecessary watering. Visit concordnh.gov/conservation for more information.
Parks & Rec
Sports: This week the department hosted 20 youth and adult baseball games and this weekend it is hosting 56 games for the Turn 2 Softball Tournament. The Turn 2 Tournament has 80 teams participating. They are using six of the City’s softball fields and several other fields in the greater Concord area.
Summer Camps: The four traditional summer camps based out of the City Wide Community Center are having a great week. Campers are enjoying the amenities of Keach Park and the indoor air conditioned spaces. A special thank you goes out to Concord Fire Department for their visit on Thursday afternoon. The campers enjoyed being cooled down. We have a few spaces remaining in our traditional summer camps and online registration remains open.
Nature Camp based out of the Merrimack Lodge also had a great week with the kids enjoying learning about wildlife in the pond and the park. All remaining weeks of Nature Camp are full.
Tennis in the Parks: USTA Youth Tennis Lessons start this week at Beaver Meadow Tennis Courts. This class is full and meets twice a week until the end of July.
Fall Soccer Registration: The department has started accepting online registrations for their fall youth soccer leagues. All games and practices are held in Concord and will follow the Governors recommendations for youth sports. The department has soccer leagues for children as young as 4 years old until 6th grade. Please register online.
Absentee ballots
Residents wishing to vote in New Hampshire who are concerned about participating in-person due to COVID-19 may register to vote, and vote, by absentee for the 2020 elections. Find more information on the State of New Hampshire’s website. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (603) 225-8500 or via email at cityclerk@concordnh.gov with any questions.
