State, Londonderry, And Saint-Gobain Reach Deal To Extend Water Main To Amid PFAS Concerns

A new agreement between the town of Londonderry, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation would extend a water main along part of High Range Road as the state continues work tied to PFAS contamination in the community.

Attorney General John M. Formella and Department of Environmental Services Commissioner Robert Scott announced the deal Tuesday. Under the agreement, the water main would run on High Range Road from Royal Lane north to Alexander Road in Londonderry.

State officials said Saint-Gobain will pay about $1.71 million toward the project. The payment is part of the company’s obligations under a 2018 consent decree addressing PFAS contamination in the community. Londonderry’s share of the roughly $4.3 million construction cost will be funded through the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund, which is administered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund Advisory Commission.

“This agreement is another important step in our efforts to hold Saint-Gobain accountable and assist Londonderry residents affected by PFAS contamination,” Formella said. “We remain steadfast in our efforts to protect access to clean water for all Granite Staters.”

According to the announcement, installing this section of water main would allow about 350 properties on the west side of High Range Road to be connected by Saint-Gobain to a community water system operated by Pennichuck Water Works. The water main would also enable additional community water system connections for homeowners on the east side of High Range Road, if necessary.

The announcement also pointed residents to another option if they do not qualify for a safe drinking water alternative from Saint-Gobain. Residents whose private drinking well water has PFAS concentrations above one or more New Hampshire or EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels are encouraged to apply for reimbursement through the PFAS Removal Rebate Program for Private Wells.

The program offers up to $5,000 for the installation of a water treatment system designed to remove PFAS, or up to $10,000 for a service connection to a public water system. The state announcement did not give a construction start date or completion timeline for the High Range Road project.