Water Quality Information

Each community water system must follow NHDES’ rules for water testing & quality, and there are several rules to be followed. A water system is said to be “in compliance” if they sample for & report results of contaminant sampling to the NHDES within a set schedule.
 
For a brief overview of contaminants to be sampled for, the type of water systems required to sample for each contaminant & a general description of what it takes to be considered in compliance, download & view the following file: Env-Ws 310-316: Drinking Water Quality Standards.
For a more in depth understanding of these rules, including rules on where, when and how to sample, in addition to reporting requirements, download & view: Env-Ws 320-339: Monitoring, Reporting and Compliance Determination.

You can actually view the sampling schedule for the water system that services your home. You can check to see which contaminants have already been sampled for and determine which ones will be sampled in the future. In most cases, the schedules have already been determined beyond the current year.
 
Follow the instructions within this document to view your system’s schedule. Contact us if you are having difficulty viewing this document or the online sampling schedule.
 
Customer Online Sampling Instructions

There are essentially four Categories of Contaminants:

• Physical
• Chemical

The EPA has created a list of these contaminants, their health effects & at what level they are a potential threat to public health.
 
Click to view this list: Requirements for Community Public Water Systems

All public utilities in the State of New Hampshire must follow the rules & regulations of the Public Utility Commission (PUC). The Commission ensures the public safety of the consumer by preparing a set of rules unique to each type of utility as well as uniform sets of rules for all utilities. Any financial decisions in relation to the customer must be first approved by the Commission and implemented on mutually agreed terms.
 
To read rules relating to your water service or any other utility serving the public, visit the PUC website or click the links below to download:
 
Visit the PUC website
PUC Rule 600: Rules for Water Service
PUC Rule 1200: Rules for Uniform Administration of Customer Relations

For Lead/Copper & Bacteria Sampling, NHDES selects location that they feel are a good representation of the system’s water quality. You may find that your home is listed on the sampling schedule, in which case you may request a copy of these sampling results.
 
If your home is selected for Lead & Copper testing, you do the testing yourself! This is because the tests call for a “first draw sample,” meaning the first draw of water for the day. If this is the case, our Company will give you the proper sampling bottles with instructions on how to take these samples, and we will return the next day to retrieve the samples and transport them to the lab.
 
Click for information on Lead & Copper sampling at home.
 
Otherwise, if you would like to have the water within your home tested, you will need to contact an independent company or accredited laboratory that performs these services, since we cannot change the locations where we sample.
 
Click for an accredited laboratories list.

MYTH: My water is crystal clear which means I have high quality water. Most contaminants that can harm you (E.Coli, cryptosporidium) cannot be seen by the human eye. So you could have a glass of clear water that is full of bacteria, compared to a glass of rust-colored or sediment-filled water that is absent of any harmful elements.
 
FACT: Not all violations indicate poor water quality. In addition, not all contaminants we sample for you are bad for your health and have aesthetic value only. Most contaminants that can harm you are those that you cannot taste, smell or see. Treatment for such contaminants is usually not necessary.
 
FACT: Some chemicals we test for do not have determined limits. Such contaminants are those for which the EPA has not created limits because further research is needed to determine levels at which negative health effects (if any) are experienced. Radon is one example. You may see a high value listed on your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) also known as the Water Quality Report. While this number may seem extremely high, there is no state-governed limit to compare it against and so the risk towards the consumer’s health is currently difficult to determine.
 
MYTH: Regulations concerning bottled water are higher than that of tap water, making bottled water more safe for me to drink. While it is true that water quality standards are different between tap & bottled water, it does not make bottled water better for consumption. Bottled water is viewed as a food and therefore is regulated as a packaged food product by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The NHDES regulates the sources from which bottled water companies obtain their product, which are roughly the same standards that regulate sources of community water systems. For community water systems, the NHDES & EPA enforce testing procedures, chemical monitoring & public notification so customers always know what’s in their drinking water. Bottled water companies are NOT under these same restrictions.
 
Click to download a PDF version of the EPA’s publication "Water on Tap: what you need to know"
You may also visit the International Bottled Water Association site.
 
MYTH: Bottled water is cheaper than tap water. Your average bottle of water is around $1 for about 8-12 ounces, at the very least. Lakes Region Water Company Inc. charges $5.26 per 748 gallons. Since there are 128 ounces in 1 gallon, the amount of money you would need to pay a store for 1 gallon of bottled water (based on a $1 per 12 oz. cost) is just under $11. This means that for 748 gallons of bottled water, you would pay around $8,228 compared to the cost of $5.26 for the same amount of water you could obtain directly from your water tap!
 

We notify consumers of any violations according to the time frames required by the NHDES. In most cases, this is within 30 days of learning of the violation (i.e. Total Coliform Bacteria, Lead & Copper or Radiological violations). In the event of a public emergency, we will notify consumers within 24 hours or as the NHDES deems appropriate (i.e. E. Coli Bacteria and nitrate violations). As always, we are continually working with the state to resolve any issues we encounter. Serious health threats such as E.Coli contamination will be announced to customers within 24 hours of a positive sample. Such contamination will result in a boil order which will be posted on our homepage and will also appear on the NHDES website.