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Tap water quality report

Salem Water Dept

EPA monitoring tested this supplier for 107 contaminants and detected 19. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — the level and EPA source for each is below.

107
contaminants tested
19
detected
21,000
people served
8
health-based violations
New Hampshire rankingsLead in New HampshirePFAS in New Hampshire
Water source
Surface water
Ownership
Local government
Counties served
Rockingham

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

8
health-based violations
32
violations on file
0
still open
ViolationTypeStatusPeriod
TT Health-based Resolved 2003-01-01 → 2003-02-01
TT Health-based Resolved 2003-01-01 → 2003-02-01
TT Health-based Resolved 2003-01-01 → 2003-02-01
TT Health-based Resolved 2003-01-01 → 2003-02-01
MCL Health-based Resolved 2003-01-01 → 2003-03-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2003-01-01 → 2003-03-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2003-01-01 → 2003-03-31
TT Health-based Resolved 1992-01-01 → 1995-07-14
MR Monitoring Resolved 2024-04-01 → 2024-07-01
MR Monitoring Resolved 2024-04-01 → 2024-07-01

PFAS detected

PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest nationwide test results (2023–2025).
ContaminantMaxDetection ratePeriod
PFOA 0.0085 µg/L 8/8 2025
Pfhxa 0.0038 µg/L 3/8 2025
Pfpea 0.0037 µg/L 3/8 2025

Other contaminants detected

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 this system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.
ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitDetection rateSourcePeriod
Bromodichloromethane
13.25 µg/L
No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 15 µg/L
96/96 SYR4 2014–2019
Chloroform
29 µg/L
No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 31 µg/L
96/96 SYR4 2014–2019
TTHM
44.25 µg/L 55%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
worst single sample: 50 µg/L
96/96 SYR4 2014–2019
Dibromochloromethane
3.73 µg/L
No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 4.2 µg/L
95/96 SYR4 2014–2019
Dichloroacetic Acid
15 µg/L
No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 17 µg/L
84/84 SYR4 2014–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
27.85 µg/L 46%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
worst single sample: 36 µg/L
84/84 SYR4 2014–2019
Trichloroacetic Acid
13 µg/L
No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 19 µg/L
84/84 SYR4 2014–2019
Copper
189.24 µg/L 15%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
worst single sample: 379.3 µg/L
69/73 SYR4 2014–2019
Lead
35.3 µg/L 235%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L
worst single sample: 221.5 µg/L
27/61 SYR4 2016–2019
Lead
0.0020 mg/L 13%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
 17/17 LCR 2024
Barium
27.5014 µg/L 1.4%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
worst single sample: 28.3 µg/L
12/12 SYR4 2014–2019
Nitrate
280 µg/L 2.8%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
 8/24 SYR4 2014–2019
Dibromoacetic Acid
4.22 µg/L
No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 4.4 µg/L
7/84 SYR4 2014–2019
Monochloroacetic Acid
2.585 µg/L
No EPA limit set
worst single sample: 2.6 µg/L
4/84 SYR4 2014–2019
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)
2.465 pCi/L 49%
of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L
worst single sample: 2.5 pCi/L
2/2 SYR4 2014
Bromoform
1.5 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 1/96 SYR4 2014–2019
88 contaminants tested, none detected
1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalArsenicAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneChromiumCombined UraniumDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebDiquatEthylene DibromideEndrinEthylbenzeneFluorideGlyphosateGross Alpha, Excl. Radon And UHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorMonobromoacetic AcidNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPfbaPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOSPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneToxapheneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact
FREDRICK WALLACE

Frequently asked questions about Salem Water Dept

Is Salem Water Dept tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 19 contaminants in Salem Water Dept's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in Salem Water Dept's water?

EPA monitoring detected Bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, TTHM, Dibromochloromethane, Dichloroacetic Acid, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Salem Water Dept serve?

Salem Water Dept reports serving 21,000 people in New Hampshire, per its EPA record.

Has Salem Water Dept had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 32 violations on file for Salem Water Dept, of which 8 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

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.