Forever Chemicals
Whether you are relocating a family to New Hampshire or simply want to know your own ground better, it helps to learn the state has not been passive here. Drinking-water oversight runs through the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), and this is among the states that set its own enforceable PFAS limits ahead of the 2024 federal rule. The figures below are the public record for the state, gathered in one view, not a verdict on any single tap. Think of this as a grounded place to start when evaluating an address, and a way to see what the records show before you decide what is worth reviewing more closely.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 43 public water systems in New Hampshire for 29 PFAS compounds; 7 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 16% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific New Hampshire address.
New Hampshire's drinking water is overseen by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), which runs the state's drinking water and groundwater bureau. On PFAS, New Hampshire is genuinely among the states that set their own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limits ahead of the April 2024 federal rule, a posture the NHDES has actively pursued. The federal rule itself caps PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion, with limits on related compounds. The reassuring part is concrete: this is a state with a named agency that moved early on PFAS rather than waiting on Washington.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in New Hampshireserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
43
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
7
Systems with any PFAS detected
16% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
6
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
2
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
Red triangles are military installations the Department of Defense has flagged for PFAS from firefighting foam. Orange dots are industrial facilities that reported PFAS to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory. If your future home sits near a cluster, that's a conversation worth having with the seller or landlord.
These are the New Hampshireutilities where EPA testing found PFAS the most often or at the highest levels. Being on this list doesn't automatically mean today's tap water is unsafe — some systems have added treatment since these samples were taken — but it means a conversation with the utility is worth having before you move in.
| Water system | Detections | Max value (ng/L) | vs 2024 MCL |
|---|---|---|---|
| HUDSON WATER DEPT | 3 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| HAMPSTEAD AREA WATER | 2 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| PORTSMOUTH WATER WORKS | 6 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| DERRY WATER DEPT | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
| LITTLE POND ESTATES | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
| CENTRAL HOOKSETT WATER PCT | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
| MANCHESTER WATER WORKS, NH | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
PFAS isn't one chemical — it's a family of thousands. Here are the specific compounds EPA picked up most often across New Hampshire water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
For decades the military trained with AFFF firefighting foam loaded with PFAS. It soaked into soil and groundwater and, in many places, traveled miles. If you're house-hunting near any of these New Hampshire installations, the address report will tell you exactly how close.
Former Pease AFB
Air Force
Pease AFB
Air Force
Looking at a specific New Hampshirecity? Each page below pulls the same federal data narrowed to that water system — useful whether you're relocating, buying, organizing your neighborhood around getting cleaner water, or just trying to find out what's in the tap and what's around you.
It helps to know the shape of the data below before reading into it. The federal UCMR5 round tested for 29 PFAS compounds, but only in public systems serving more than 3,300 people, sampled from 2021 to 2024. Private wells and many small rural systems were never required to test, and a detection logged in 2022 is not necessarily today's tap. New Hampshire leans heavily on private wells, so if yours is one, the NHDES offers well-testing guidance that beats squinting at a public-system figure out of context. Read the numbers above as a screening snapshot, not a closing argument, and you will read them well.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 43 public water systems in New Hampshire; 7 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Yes. New Hampshire is among the states that set their own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limits ahead of the 2024 federal rule, through the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). The federal rule separately caps PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services oversees public water systems through its drinking water and groundwater bureau and has been among the states acting on PFAS ahead of the federal rule, which sets PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, or NHDES, is the state environmental agency responsible for protecting New Hampshire's water, land, and air, including oversight of public drinking-water systems.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any New Hampshire address, alongside nearby military bases and industrial PFAS sources. The data comes from EPA UCMR 5, EPA TRI, and the DoD PFAS installation report.
In April 2024 the EPA set the first enforceable federal limits for PFAS in drinking water: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA (GenX), plus a Hazard Index for certain mixtures. Public water systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027 and come into compliance after that.
No. The federal limits apply to public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing and treatment, which is especially worth doing near a known PFAS source like a military base or industrial site.
State numbers tell you the pattern. An address report tells you what's actually in the water at yourkitchen sink — the matched utility, the PFAS detections on file, and every military or industrial source nearby. Whether it's for your family, your neighbors, or peace of mind.
Data sources: EPA UCMR 5 bulk data · EPA TRI 2024 · DoD PFAS installation report