# Manchester, NH — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

> Contaminant levels for the Manchester, NH public water system from its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/nh/manchester/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/nh/manchester/2024
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2024
- Contaminants measured: 18
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 15
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 1
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 1.2–3.1 ug/L (Range) | Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant | 60 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 1.1–4 ug/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 80 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Chloride | Inorganic chemicals | 65–83 mg/L (Range) | Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant | 250 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.6–0.76 mg/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 0.02–0.51 mg/L (Range) | Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrite | Inorganic chemicals | 0–0.2 mg/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 1 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Sulfate | Inorganic chemicals | 20–41 mg/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 250 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.0072–0.0112 mg/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.0047–0.162 mg/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 1 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 0.0011 ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 15 ug/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Manganese | Metals | 3.9–7.5 ug/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 50 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 41.9–63.3 mg/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 100 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Zinc | Metals | 0.001–0.0017 mg/L (Range) | Merrimack River Water Treatment Plant | 5 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| PFBA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 1.11–4.16 ng/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 5.59–6.51 ng/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 12 ng/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| pH | Physical & aggregate | 7.71–8.03 (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | 6.5 (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1.67–2.35 mg/L (Range) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.057 NTU (Reported level) | Lake Massabesic Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **HAA5** — Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is associated with an increased cancer risk.
- **TTHM** — Total trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is linked to liver, kidney, and central-nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk.
- **Chloride** — A naturally occurring salt compound. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels cause a salty taste and can corrode pipes.
- **Fluoride** — A mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Beneficial at low levels, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause bone disease and tooth mottling.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Nitrite** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, sewage, and erosion of natural deposits. Like nitrate, elevated levels can cause 'blue baby syndrome' in infants.
- **Sulfate** — A naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. No health-based federal limit; high levels can have a laxative effect and a bitter taste.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Manganese** — A naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. No enforceable federal limit; high levels stain fixtures and laundry and can affect taste, with a health advisory for infants.
- **Sodium** — A naturally occurring salt component. Not federally regulated for health; relevant for people on sodium-restricted diets.
- **Zinc** — A naturally occurring metal that can also enter water from corroding pipes. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels cause a metallic taste.
- **PFBA** — Perfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment and the human body.
- **PFOA** — Perfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products. Linked to cancer, liver damage, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
- **pH** — A measure of how acidic or basic the water is. Regulated only as a secondary standard; very low or high pH can corrode pipes or affect taste.
- **TOC** — Total organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. Not harmful itself, but it is the raw material that forms disinfection byproducts; removal is a treatment requirement.
- **Turbidity** — A measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. High turbidity can shelter microbes from disinfection; the EPA enforces it through a treatment-technique standard.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-05-25 from thewatermap.com._