Is Manchester, NH Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Manchester's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Nitrate	220 µg/L 2.2% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 2800 µg/L — ROCKWOOD TERRACE CONDOS · 25 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Copper	46.45 µg/L 3.6% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 1370 µg/L — ROCKWOOD TERRACE CONDOS · 25 people · 2018	2/2	SYR4
Fluoride	678.5 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Barium	16.3428 µg/L 0.8% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 42 µg/L — ROCKWOOD TERRACE CONDOS · 25 people · 2017	2/2	SYR4
Lead	36.7 µg/L 245% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	11.445 µg/L 19% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	8.085 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	6.8 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
TTHM	6.07 µg/L 7.6% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Chloroform	3.735 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	2.24 pCi/L 15% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Highest in the city: ROCKWOOD TERRACE CONDOS · 25 people · 2017	1/2	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	1.8 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Gross Beta Particle Activity	1.7 pCi/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2017	1/2	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	1.53 pCi/L 31% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2017	2/2	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	0.9700 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Combined Uranium	0.4000 µg/L 1.3% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Highest in the city: ROCKWOOD TERRACE CONDOS · 25 people · 2017	1/2	SYR4
PFOA	0.0050 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2023	1/2	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: MANCHESTER WATER WORKS · 123,500 people · 2024	1/2	LCR

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Manchester

Supplier	Population served
MANCHESTER WATER WORKS	123,500
ROCKWOOD TERRACE CONDOS	25

Frequently asked questions about Manchester tap water

Is Manchester tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 18 contaminants in the water serving Manchester. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Manchester?

2 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Manchester, New Hampshire to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Manchester's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Manchester include Nitrate, Copper, Fluoride, Barium, Lead. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.