Chemicals May Be In NH Drinking Water But Limited State Info Available

NEW HAMPSHIRE — Granite Staters who drink tap water may consume dangerous substances daily, but residents do not know this due to inaccessible state documents, according to an analysis of the nation’s drinking water supply released Wednesday.

New Hampshire’s 715 public water utilities, which serve 881,000 people, have 92 known contaminants, according to the Environmental Working Group, a research and environmental advocacy nonprofit organization. A search-by-ZIP-code function allows people to see what’s in their community’s drinking water.

However, the organization said data was unavailable because the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services refused to release the latest drinking water test data after making a public record request.

“Rather than supplying the data,” the org said, “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 EWG’s national Tap Water Database, New Hampshire shared these results, “the organization said. New Hampshire was the only state to block access to data, depriving those who rely on public water systems from critical information.”

James Martin, a public information officer with the NH DES, said the department did not refuse to release the latest data. Instead, it provided the latest data, including violations on its OneStop data website.

“Water quality for each specific water system is available on NHDES’ website and NHDES’ data are also reported to USEPA,” he said. “Customers of water systems also each receive a summary of their water quality in the annual Consumer Confidence Report that is required under state and federal law. In addition, public water systems are required to notify all customers of exceedances of drinking water quality standards.”

Providing customized datasets, such as was requested by EWG, when all of the information is already readily available was “unnecessary,” Martin added, since the EWG data “was displayed in a context that misrepresents scientific consensus or standards adopted by USEPA or NHDES.”

Martin also said customized datasets, such as the ones requested by EWG, were not required under state right-to-know laws or requests when the data were otherwise readily available.

Other Data

Based on the Environmental Protection Agency's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database, some information was available about Patch communities.

The Concord Water Department had eight total contaminants with two, halocetic acids and perfluorooctanic acid, exceeding EWG’s health guidelines.

Drinking water in Exeter had 12 contaminants with two exceeding the health guidelines: halocetic acids and perfluorooctanic acid.

Manchester Water Works had nine contaminants and three exceeding health guidelines: chromium, halocetic acids, and perfluorooctanic acid.

The Merrimack Village District posted 18 contaminants with six exceeding health guidelines. Those included chromium, halocetic acids, perflouorohexane sulfonate, perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonate, and perfluorooctanic acid.

Thirteens contaminants were reported in the Pennichuck Water Works system in Nashua with five exceeding health limits: chromium, halocetic acids, perflouorohexane sulfonate, perfluorooctane sulfonate, and perfluorooctanic acid.

In Portsmouth, 16 contaminants were reported, including six that exceeded health guidelines: chromium, halocetic acids, perflouorohexane sulfonate, perfluorooctane sulfonate, perfluorooctanic acid, and radium (combined)

Only one large water system in the state reported a violation point, the Salem Water Department, which had one violation point between July 2021 and June 2024. It also had a total of eight contaminants and four — chromium, halocetic acids, perfluorooctane sulfonate, and perfluorooctanic acid, exceeding EWG’s health guidelines.

The Warde Rehabilitation, which sources its water from the ground, reported 35 violation points, according to the study. Evergreen Terrace in Exeter reported 25 violations. It also sources its water from the ground.

EWG analyzed water quality data from nearly 50,000 water systems collected between 2021 and 2023. It identified 324 contaminants in drinking water supplies across the country, with almost all community water systems having detectable contaminants.

The report comes amid federal government upheaval that jeopardizes landmark standards regulating PFAS — a dangerous, ubiquitous class of chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive issues and other serious health problems.

The final rules, approved in April, are “the most significant action on drinking water in a generation for some of the worst chemicals in drinking water — a tremendous public health plan,” Melanie Benesh, the EWG’s vice president of government affairs, told Patch.

“It means thousands of people are not going to get sick or die from serious, chronic diseases,” she said. “It shouldn’t be reversed. Lives and health are at stake.”

More than 143 million people are exposed to PFAS in their drinking water, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. PFAS have been detected in nearly every American’s blood, including newborns.

President Donald Trump’s “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review” memorandum in January directed agency and department heads to consider delaying the effective date of any final rules published in the Federal Register for 60 days pending review.

That’s not unusual any time there’s a change in the administration and agency leadership, Benesh said.

Lee Zeldin was sworn in as the 17th administrator of the EPA on Jan. 25. As a congressman representing New York’s 1st District from 2015 to 2023, he voted in favor of tougher regulation of PFAS.

Though a positive sign, Benesh said the EWG and other safe-water advocates have “real concerns that these landmark health protections for our drinking water will be significantly weakened and rolled back.”

Also in January, the Trump administration withdrew a proposed rule from the previous administration that would have subjected manufacturers to federal discharge limits on PFAS. The withdrawal means there is no federal limit on the amount of PFAS a manufacturer can release into waterways. That places greater burden on states to place limits on states.

Legislation pending in California would require the stature to pass an emergency resolution codifying the federal limits in the event that the EPA weakens the standards, Benesh noted.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if other states follow suit,” she said.

Dozens of states have adopted policies concerning PFAS.

The Trump administration has also asked for a stay on pending litigation surrounding the PFAS standards. The final rules face a multidistrict legal challenge in U.S. District Court in South Carolina, a consolidation of 10,000 associated cases with tens of thousands of plaintiffs.

Defendants include large companies such as 3M, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva.

“It is imperative that we do everything we can to keep them in place,” Benesh said of the standards. “The Trump administration, on the whole, has been very sympathetic to chemical companies.”

The Biden administration also unlocked nearly $1 billion in funding to help states and territories implement PFAS treatment measures through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Some of the money in the Safe Drinking Water Act revolving loan fund has already been distributed. But it’s unclear how Trump’s pause on infrastructure spending could affect PFAS mitigation, which many utilities would be unable to tackle without government help.

Other key findings in Wednesday’s EWG report include:

Volatile organic compounds: VOCs like trichloroethylene or TCE, perchloroethylene and benzene are widespread contaminants linked to industrial pollution and environmental persistence. These chemicals, even at low concentrations, can cause cancer, liver damage and neurological issues. They are found in tap water at levels ranging from parts per trillion to parts per billion.

Nitrate: Nitrates from farm runoff and wastewater can contaminate drinking water, especially in rural areas. Long-term exposure to high nitrate levels can cause serious health problems, including cancer, thyroid issues and harm to developing babies. Nitrate contamination is particularly dangerous for infants, especially when used in baby formula, as it can lead to life-threatening conditions like methemoglobinemia.

Heavy metals: Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral that causes bladder, lung and skin cancer as well as harm to the skin and lungs. Arsenic is found in drinking water in all 50 states

Hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, is a carcinogen made infamous by the Erin Brockovich case in California, and is in the drinking water of over 250 million Americans. There is no federal limit for chromium-6, despite its widespread presence and link to cancer and organ damage.

Disinfection byproducts: Chlorine disinfectants used to treat water can form harmful byproducts linked to cancer and reproductive health issues. These byproducts are consistently found in large water systems serving millions of people.

Radiological contaminants: Radium and uranium were detected in many water systems, sometimes exceeding EPA limits. Long-term exposure can lead to neurological disorders, developmental delays and organ damage. Radioactive elements like radium and uranium, naturally occurring or released from mining and industrial processes, increase cancer risk due to ionizing radiation.

Fluoride: While fluoride is added to water for dental health, high levels can cause dental and skeletal fluorosis and may harm children's neurodevelopment. Some communities have seen fluoride concentrations exceed recommended limits.