Overview
Updated data blocked by New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has refused to release the latest drinking water test data sought by EWG through a public records request. Rather than supplying the data, the department provided a link to a website containing PDFs that were difficult to use. Although the state maintains its own database of water system test results, it has declined to export the data.
In past updates to EWG’s national Tap Water Database, New Hampshire shared these results. But it is the only state to block access to such data this time, depriving those who rely on public water systems from critical information.
EWG's drinking water quality report for New Hampshire shows results of tests conducted by the water utilities in New Hampshire and provided to EWG by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
Large utilities in New Hampshire
Below are utilities in New Hampshire serving over 10,000 people, listed alphabetically.
| Utility | Location | People Served |
|---|
| Aquarion Water - NH | Monroe, NH | 23,000 |
| Concord Water Department | Concord, NH | 44,000 |
| Derry Water Department | Derry, NH | 15,145 |
| Dover Water Department | Dover, NH | 28,000 |
| Exeter Water Department | Exeter, NH | 11,000 |
| Hudson Water Department | Hudson, NH | 16,100 |
| Keene Water Department | Keene, NH | 25,000 |
| Laconia Water Works | Lakeport, NH | 15,500 |
| Lebanon Water Department | Lebanon, NH | 10,050 |
| Manchester Water Works | Manchester, NH | 133,000 |
| Merrimack Village District | Merrimack, NH | 25,000 |
| Pennichuck Water Works | Nashua, NH | 87,682 |
| Portsmouth Water Works | Portsmouth, NH | 33,000 |
| Rochester Water Department | Rochester, NH | 25,000 |
| Salem Water Department | Salem, NH | 18,000 |
| Seabrook Water Department | Seabrook, NH | 14,000 |
| Somersworth Water Works | Somersworth, NH | 12,000 |
| UNH/Durham Water Sys | Durham, NH | 16,000 |
Utilities that accumulated/accrued the most violation points as of July 2021 to June 2024 in New Hampshire
The Environmental Protection Agency's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database collects compliance and enforcement-related information for drinking water utilities nationwide. ECHO water quality violation scores take into account federal health-based water quality standards, as well as monitoring, reporting and other drinking water quality requirements. Points are accrued based on specific problems at the utility - violations of health-based drinking water standards receive more points than monitoring and reporting violations - and the length of time until the violations were corrected.
| Utility | Location | People Served | Violation Points |
|---|
Large utilities that accumulated/accrued the most violation points as of July 2021 to June 2024 in New Hampshire
The Environmental Protection Agency's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database collects compliance and enforcement-related information for drinking water utilities nationwide. ECHO water quality violation scores take into account federal health-based water quality standards, as well as monitoring, reporting and other drinking water quality requirements. Points are accrued based on specific problems at the utility - violations of health-based drinking water standards receive more points than monitoring and reporting violations - and the length of time until the violations were corrected.
| Utility | Location | People Served | Violation Points |
|---|
| Lebanon Water Department | Lebanon, NH | 10,050 | 10 |
| Salem Water Department | Salem, NH | 18,000 | 1 |
Contaminants found in New Hampshire above health guidelines
| Found above health guidelines | Found | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contaminant | # of Utilities | People Served | # of Utilities | People Served |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) | 42 | 596,542 | 42 | 596,542 | ||
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 155 | 529,759 | 155 | 529,759 | ||
| Chromium (hexavalent) | 35 | 484,457 | 38 | 530,507 | ||
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) | 75 | 220,786 | 90 | 350,923 | ||
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) | 58 | 215,615 | 58 | 215,615 | ||
| Radium, combined (-226 & -228) | 89 | 124,731 | 94 | 125,494 | ||
| Uranium, combined (pCi/L) | 119 | 45,762 | 157 | 146,022 | ||
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | 5 | 29,384 | 5 | 29,384 | ||
| Manganese | 21 | 12,440 | 342 | 754,812 | ||
| Radon | 13 | 5,467 | 13 | 5,467 | ||
| Perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid (PFHpS) | 2 | 3,735 | 2 | 3,735 | ||
| Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) | 1 | 3,612 | 1 | 3,612 | ||
| Perfluoropentane sulfonic acid (PFPeS) | 1 | 3,612 | 4 | 29,693 | ||
| Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA) | 2 | 3,303 | 2 | 3,303 | ||
| 1,4-Dioxane | 1 | 600 | 8 | 46,001 | ||
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | 2 | 400 | 2 | 400 | ||
| N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetic acid (N-EtFOSAA) | 1 | 136 | 3 | 69,136 | ||
| N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid | 1 | 136 | 1 | 136 | ||
| 6:2 Fluorotelomer Sulfonic Acid (6:2 FTSA) | 1 | 112 | 1 | 112 |
Contaminants found in New Hampshire above legal limits
| Contaminant | # of Utilities | People Served |
|---|
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