An Associated Press review of federal data has identified more than two dozen drinking water systems in New Hampshire where samples have exceeded the federal government’s limit for lead in the last three years.
While no amount of lead exposure is considered safe, an Environmental Protection Agency rule that took effect in 1991 calls for drinking water systems to keep levels below 15 parts per billion. The AP’s analysis of EPA data found that nearly 1,400 of the 75,000 systems that are subject to that rule have exceeded the standard at least once since Jan. 1, 2013.
The list includes 28 water systems in New Hampshire. The largest by far is the University of New Hampshire system, which serves some 16,000 people depending on the time of year.
Associated Press