Microplastics in Hillsborough: Understanding Your Household Water Treatment Options

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The Manchester Water Works supplies water to over 123,500 people through more than 32,000 connections in Manchester, located in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. This system draws water from surface sources, which serve as the origin before treatment and delivery to residences.

What Do 'Detected', 'Median', and 'Range' Mean in the Sampling Record on This Page?

The sampling record from the Manchester Water Works reflects data collected for various water quality parameters. These terms describe how measurements are summarized:

• Detected means an instrument or method identified the presence of a substance during sampling in the system's water.
• Median represents the middle value in a set of measurements collected over time, showing a central tendency.
• Range indicates the spectrum from the lowest to the highest measurement recorded.

Currently, no federal or local monitoring includes microplastics for this water system, so no such data appear in government records. As a result, the record neither confirms nor excludes the presence of microplastics in this water supply.

How Does Seasonal or Multi-Year Variation Show in the Record?

Water quality measurements can fluctuate due to seasonal changes, weather events, or multi-year trends affecting source water conditions. Records often span multiple years with multiple sampling dates to capture this variability. For the Manchester Water Works, the absence of microplastic data means none of these variations are documented for this constituent. However, surface water sources, like those supplying Manchester, can be influenced by factors such as runoff or urban inputs that vary with seasons.

What Changes for a Large Household, a Second Home, or a Seasonal Property?

Households with higher daily water usage, multiple residences, or seasonal occupancy may have different water treatment requirements compared to average residential units. Treatment capacity, flow rates, and servicing intervals can differ. When addressing microplastics, assessment should consider how often the property is used and how much water is processed. This can affect the choice of treatment class and equipment sizing. For those evaluating treatment options, understanding household water demand is essential before selecting solutions.

What Distinguishes This Problem from the Two Problems Most Often Confused With It?

Microplastics are tiny synthetic particles found in some water sources, distinct from common water contaminants such as sediments or organic debris. Unlike sediment, which is generally visible and settles out, microplastics are minute and require specialized testing to identify. They also differ from dissolved solids, which are chemical in nature rather than particulate plastic fragments. Confusing these can lead to inappropriate treatment decisions.

What Does a Certified Laboratory Test for Microplastics Report and How Should You Read It?

A certified laboratory analyzing for microplastics in water samples will typically report particle counts, sizes, and polymer types identified through filtration and spectroscopic methods. The data focus on presence and concentration but are not regulated as health-based violations. Reading such reports requires attention to the methodology and understanding that presence does not imply legal violation or direct health risk but can inform treatment needs.

For homeowners in Manchester who wish to evaluate potential microplastic presence or reduce any concern, laboratory testing of their own household water supply is the definitive step, as government records do not measure this constituent.

One documented solution addressing microplastic particles in residential water is the Autotrol Microplastics Filter. This system ships ready to configure and is designed specifically to reduce microplastic content by capturing fine particles before they enter household taps.

The Manchester Water Works system record covers over 32,000 connections receiving surface water, showing no health-based violations. The record spans numerous water quality parameters but currently includes no microplastic monitoring. For more detailed government data, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Information System offers the full public water system record for NH1471010.

Where this information comes from

Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2022-12-31. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.

On record: EPA SDWIS record for MANCHESTER WATER WORKS (NH1471010), surface water supply, serving 123500 people: 0 health-based violations of 0 total; lead 90th percentile 0 mg/L