What's in Manchester, NH tap water

18 contaminants were measured in the Manchester, NH water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit — 1 sit at or above that limit.

See it on the mapFull source report ↗

Reporting year: 2024
Contaminants measured: 18
Over federal limit: 1
Approaching the limit: 0
Worst contaminant: pH
Service area: NH
Source: Utility CCR

At or above the federal limit

pH
Physical & aggregate · Range
7.71–8.03
limit 6.5 · 1.2× the limit

PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)

1 PFAS compound above EPA limits in Manchester, NH

About this data

The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.

PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid)

● Over EPA limit (1.3×)

Measured 5 ng/LEPA limit 4 ng/LSample year 2023Samples 4 detect / 4

below national p90 (13.649999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)

Source:EPA UCMR5· 2023 · 4 samples · 4 detected↗

PWSID NH1471010 · Source: EPA UCMR5. Limits per EPA's April 2024 PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. PFAS values reported in nanograms per liter (ng/L) — note that 1 ng/L = 1 part per trillion.

Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS

Manchester, NH's drinking water comes from surface water, drawn from 2 sources.

Source

2surface water

LAKE MASSABESIC /RAW
MERRIMACK RVR RADIAL COLL WELL RCW

Treatment

2treatment plants

TREATMENT PLANT /FINISHED
MERRIMACK RVR TREATMENT PLANT

Distribution

0storage units

Source: EPA SDWIS facilities inventory. Methodology.

Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)

14 historically-detected contaminants in Manchester, NH

About this data

Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.

Contaminant	Worst detection	EPA limit	Years (2012–2019)
GROSS BETA worst: 2017	1.7 mrem/yr within	4 mrem/yr	'17
RADIUM 226 228 worst: 2014	1.6 pCi/L within below national p90	5 pCi/L	'14'17
TTHM worst: 2019	0.022 mg/L within	0.08 mg/L	'14'15'16'17'18'19
HAA5 worst: 2019	0.016 mg/L within	0.06 mg/L	'14'15'16'17'18'19
FLUORIDE worst: 2019	0.71 mg/L within	4 mg/L	'14'15'16'17'18'19
NITRATE worst: 2014	0.22 mg/L within	10 mg/L	'14
BARIUM worst: 2017	0.0166 mg/L within below national p90	2 mg/L	'14'15'16'17'18'19
COPPER worst: 2014	0.0063 mg/L below national p90	—	'14'16'17'19
LEAD worst: 2016	0.007 mg/L	—	'16'19
DCAA worst: 2014	0.0083 mg/L	—	'14'15'16'17'18'19
TCAA worst: 2015	0.0012 mg/L	—	'15'19
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2014	0.0013 mg/L	—	'14'15'16'17'18'19
CHLOROFORM worst: 2014	0.0021 mg/L	—	'14'15'16'17'18'19
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2014	0.0006 mg/L	—	'14'15'16'17'18'19

PWSID NH1471010 · Source: EPA Six-Year Review 4 (2012–2019). Values are the highest detection in each calendar year; non-detect years are omitted. Year tags above show every year with a detection.

Physical & aggregate

Contaminant	Measured	Federal limit	Status
pHA measure of how acidic or basic the water is.	7.71–8.03RangeLake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant	6.5MCL	At or above the limit
+By source (2)— Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant, Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range7.71–8.03124% of limit Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant range7.5–7.82120% of limit
TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water.	1.67–2.35 mg/LRangeLake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant	None set	Detected — no federal limit
+By source (2)— Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant, Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range1.67–2.35 mg/L Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant range0.56–1.04 mg/L
TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water.	0.057 NTUReported levelLake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant	None set	Detected — no federal limit
+By source (2)— Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant, Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant

Metals

Contaminant	Measured	Federal limit	Status
SodiumA naturally occurring salt component.	41.9–63.3 mg/LRangeLake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant	100 mg/LMCL	Within the limit
+By source (2)— Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant, Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range41.9–63.3 mg/L63% of limit Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant range45.9–58.6 mg/L59% of limit
ManganeseA naturally occurring metal from soil and rock.	3.9–7.5 ug/LRangeLake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant	50 ug/LMCL	Within the limit
+By source (2)— Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant, Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range3.9–7.5 ug/L15% of limit Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant 0% of limit
ZincA naturally occurring metal that can also enter water from corroding pipes.	0.001–0.0017 mg/LRangeMerrimack River Water Treatment Plant	5 mg/LMCL	Within the limit
+By source (2)— Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant, Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant range0.001–0.0017 mg/L0% of limit Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range0.001–0.0011 mg/L0% of limit

Inorganic chemicals

Contaminant	Measured	Federal limit	Status
ChlorideA naturally occurring salt compound.	65–83 mg/LRangeMerrimack River Water Treatment Plant	250 mg/LMCL	Within the limit
+By source (2)— Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant, Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant range65–83 mg/L33% of limit Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range7–41 mg/L16% of limit
NitriteA compound from fertilizer runoff, sewage, and erosion of natural deposits.	0–0.2 mg/LRangeLake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant	1 mg/LMCL	Within the limit
+By source (2)— Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant, Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant range0–0.2 mg/L20% of limit Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range0–0.2 mg/L20% of limit
SulfateA naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil.	20–41 mg/LRangeLake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant	250 mg/LMCL	Within the limit
+By source (2)— Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant, Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range20–41 mg/L16% of limit Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant range6–7 mg/L3% of limit

PFAS ("forever chemicals")

Contaminant	Measured	Federal limit	Status
PFBAPerfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.'	1.11–4.16 ng/LRangeLake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant	None set	Detected — no federal limit
+By source (2)— Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant, Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant Lake Massabesic Water Treatment PlantPlant range1.11–4.16 ng/L Merrimack River Water Treatment PlantPlant range1.02–1.76 ng/L

Source: Manchester, NH's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. utility is required to publish. The numbers on this page are the utility's own. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.