New Hampshire: an early and serious PFAS story

New Hampshire was one of the first states where PFAS became a household concern, and it remains a recognized hotspot. The Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics facility in Merrimack contaminated air and water across Merrimack, Litchfield, Bedford, Londonderry and Hudson; in 2016, PFAS turned up in hundreds of wells around the plant, which has since been demolished. The state was also home to one of the nation's earliest major military discoveries: at the former Pease Air Force Base, now the Pease Tradeport in Portsmouth, the Haven well exceeded 2,000 ppt back in 2014, according to NHDES, the NH Bulletin and ATSDR.

That early experience pushed New Hampshire to act ahead of most states, and it shaped a template other communities later followed: bottled-water programs while sampling ran, point-of-entry treatment for affected homes, and long-term monitoring around the plumes. Pease in particular became a reference case in the national conversation because it was one of the first sites where a large, exposed population - workers and children at on-base facilities - prompted formal health study. For homeowners in the affected southern towns, that history translates into a clear takeaway: the contamination is well characterized, the public data is extensive, and effective treatment is readily available. New Hampshire's environmental agency, NHDES, has run one of the more comprehensive state sampling and outreach programs in the country, extending testing to private wells in the affected towns and publishing results that let a homeowner see how their own neighborhood compares. That level of documentation is a genuine advantage - it turns a regional headline into something a family can act on with confidence rather than anxiety.

State limits, then the federal layer

New Hampshire set enforceable limits years before the federal rule existed, adopting its own MCLs in 2019 and 2020: PFOA at 12 ppt, PFOS at 15 ppt, PFNA at 11 ppt, and PFHxS at 18 ppt, per NHDES and BCLP. The 2024 federal EPA rule then layered national caps on top - 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFNA, PFHxS and GenX. Where the state and federal numbers differ, the stricter of the two governs, which gives residents in the Merrimack Valley a strong, overlapping safety net.

Proven ways to take PFAS out of Granite State water

Three technologies do the job, and each earns its place. Granular activated carbon (GAC) captures PFAS by adsorption and is the standard for whole-house, point-of-entry treatment - the same principle behind the filtration many affected Merrimack-area homes already run. Anion-exchange resin removes PFAS through ion exchange in a small footprint, a practical advantage in the compact utility spaces of older New England houses. Reverse osmosis (RO) uses a fine membrane to create a dedicated drinking-water barrier at the sink. Many households in the affected towns run a whole-house unit for every faucet and pair it with an under-sink RO for drinking and cooking.

Know your own numbers

New Hampshire offers unusually rich public data - start with your water system's report and NHDES resources. If you have a private well, especially near Merrimack, Litchfield or the Pease Tradeport, a certified PFAS lab test is the only way to be sure, because private wells sit outside public monitoring. Our PFAS removal guide helps you read the results.

Once you have data, we can match equipment to your specific compounds and levels. US shipping is free, and we are happy to review your report before you order.

Systems suited to New Hampshire