Lead In Drinking Water In New Hampshire
What residents of New Hampshire need to know about lead in drinking water — including how it enters water, which utilities have documented violations, and what steps to take.
Source: EPA SDWIS, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), CDC · Last reviewed: 2025-01-01
Quick Answer
Is lead in drinking water a real concern in New Hampshire?
Yes — New Hampshire has some of the softest, most naturally acidic water in the nation, which is among the most corrosive water chemistry profiles for lead plumbing in the country.
Is this mostly a public-water issue, a private-well issue, or both?
Both public water service lines and household plumbing; New Hampshire's naturally corrosive water chemistry means even newer lead-free solder in older pre-1986 homes can leach into water that sits in pipes.
What is the main reason residents should care?
New Hampshire's granite bedrock produces naturally acidic, very low-mineral water with almost no buffering capacity. This water chemistry aggressively dissolves lead from any lead-containing plumbing material — making the state's combination of soft water and old housing stock a significant risk factor.
Key Facts
| Federal Lead Action Level | 15 µg/L — no safe level per CDC |
| Water chemistry risk | Granite bedrock water is naturally very soft and acidic — among the most corrosive in the nation |
| Housing stock | Manchester, Nashua, Concord have significant pre-1940 housing inventories |
| School testing | NHDES has stricter lead testing protocols for schools and child care facilities |
| State oversight | New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) |
Why This Matters in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's water chemistry is defined by its granite geology. Rainwater percolating through granite terrain picks up little mineral content and often emerges acidic — with pH values that can make water significantly more corrosive than national averages. Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and Portsmouth have substantial inventories of pre-1940 housing. Combined with New Hampshire's naturally corrosive water, lead leaching from old service lines, solder, and fixtures is a real concern. NHDES has adopted stricter lead testing protocols for schools and child care facilities, and enforces the Lead and Copper Rule for public water systems statewide. New Hampshire's mix of municipal water systems and private wells on granite bedrock means both public and private water users face corrosion-related concerns.
New Hampshire Utilities With Lead Violation Records
The utilities listed below have at least one lead violation on record in EPA's SDWIS database. Violations may be open or resolved — see individual utility pages for current status and risk level.
How Lead Gets Into Drinking Water
Lead service lines
The pipe connecting a home to the water main may be made of lead, especially in pre-1986 construction. Water sitting in these lines can accumulate lead before it reaches the tap.
Lead solder
Lead solder at pipe joints was banned for potable water systems in 1986. Homes built before that date — including significant portions of older New Hampshire cities — may still have lead solder throughout their plumbing.
Older brass fixtures
Faucets, valves, and fixtures with high lead content were common before the 2014 revision of 'lead-free' standards. Replacing older fixtures at kitchen and drinking taps can meaningfully reduce exposure.
Corrosive water chemistry
Soft, acidic, or low-alkalinity water dissolves lead from plumbing more readily. Utilities use orthophosphate and other corrosion control treatments, but household plumbing after the meter is not within their control.
Who Should Pay Closest Attention
Families with young children in Manchester, Nashua, and Concord older neighborhoods, and households on private wells with older submersible pump fixtures or well casings, should prioritize water testing and certified filtration given New Hampshire's highly corrosive water chemistry.
Families with children under six
Pregnant residents
Households in homes built before 1986
Renters who cannot inspect building plumbing
Residents on a confirmed lead service line
Households that had plumbing work done recently (disturbances dislodge protective scale)
How to Check Your Situation in New Hampshire
- 1
Identify your water utility. Use the ZIP lookup below or browse the New Hampshire utility directory on this site.
- 2
Read your utility's page on this site to see its current risk level and any open lead violations.
- 3
Contact your utility and ask for your address-level service line material status. Under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), utilities must maintain and provide this information.
- 4
Review your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) — mailed annually or available on the utility's website.
- 5
Consider testing your tap water at a New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES)-certified lab. Your state health department or New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) maintains a list of certified labs.
- 6
If you have young children or are pregnant, install a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter at the kitchen tap as a precautionary measure.
Treatment Options
Boiling does not remove lead. Use a certified filter for drinking and cooking water.
NSF/ANSI Standard 53 — Activated Carbon Block
Under-sink or pitcher filters certified to Standard 53 are independently verified to reduce lead. Replace filters on the manufacturer's schedule — an overdue filter may not perform as certified.
NSF/ANSI Standard 58 — Reverse Osmosis
RO systems certified to Standard 58 remove 95–99% of lead and a broad range of contaminants. Requires under-sink installation. More comprehensive than Standard 53 for households with multiple contaminant concerns.
Flushing — temporary mitigation only
EPA recommends flushing the cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes if water has sat in pipes for 6+ hours. Not a substitute for certified filtration or service line replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Lead — National Overview
All U.S. utilities with lead records
New Hampshire State Overview
All utilities and water quality data
Nitrate in Drinking Water
A separate but common concern
Reverse Osmosis Guide
Removes 95–99% of lead
Activated Carbon Filter Guide
NSF/ANSI 53 certified options
All Contaminants
Complete reference library
Data Sources & Provenance
All data on this page is sourced from official U.S. government or public datasets.