Amherst residents still need better water quality.

Amherst, NH, is a beautiful town with an abundance of natural resources. But many are concerned about the water quality with questions like, “Is it safe to drink from the tap in Amherst?” and “Are there any potential issues that residents should be aware of?” Let’s take a look at the water in Amherst and explore how it might impact the local resident.

The Town and Village of Amherst bring some good things to the table when it comes to water purity. The town has its own public works department, and Pennichuck provides city water. The town works closely with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations. And the NHDES conducts its own testing regularly and reports back on any violations or issues found within the system.

Additionally, the town has implemented an annual water quality report program that provides detailed information each year. It recently conducted research of an additional city water line from Pennichuck needed to be built to service those on well water. The town website even has a page directly linked that has all the required information to learn about Amherst PFAS concerns. They are doing a great job communicating the issues and how to be safe.

Lake in Amherst, NH

Currently, the water issues include the following —

  • Many on well water worry about a variety of water contaminants.
  • Cyanobacteria and other contamination comes and goes in Baboosic Lake.
  • The statewide problems with PFAS, which are carcinogens that can cause liver, kidney, immune, reproductive, and overall physical harm.
  • City water contains additives for purification as well as some detection of PFOA (i.e., this Souhegan Woods report).

While the town’s solutions fall within legal limits, and they are working to improve the water quality, we believe there’s a better and safer water solution to fix your water issues for good.

Contaminants found in Amherst, NH water.

The primary concern when it comes to drinking water is contamination from naturally occurring chemicals or bacteria. In some cases, these contaminants can be harmful if ingested over time. The most common types of pollutants found in Amherst’s drinking water (through private wells) include arsenic, lead, nitrates, coliform bacteria, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While these substances may not cause harm when consumed occasionally, long-term exposure can have adverse health effects, including organ damage and cancer. Additionally, other potential contaminants such as viruses, protozoa, pharmaceuticals, or hormones could be present in well or city water systems but are undetected by routine testing procedures.

According to the EWG (their study done in 2021), there are a few specific contaminants that are of concern in the city water. While they may fall under legal levels, trace amounts can still negatively impact health, particularly with young children, immunocompromised individuals, and aging adults. With 26 higher-than-recommended contaminants, here are some that are of note:

Bromodichloromethane and Chloroform in Amherst water.

Formed when chlorine and other disinfectants treat the water, these byproducts are a carcinogen that can impact fetuses during pregnancy.

Learn more about chlorine in drinking water.

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5 and HAA9) in Amherst water.

These compounds are carcinogenic and can cause bladder cancer. A few other potential effects include colo-rectal cancer, and adverse developmental and reproductive issues.

PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic Acid) in Amherst water.

PFOA is called the forever chemical because it never dissolves into the environment. It can build up in the body and create issues like cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney and liver problems, respiratory disease including asthma and COPD, and impacting infectious diseases and vaccine effectiveness.

Learn more about PFOA in drinking water.

If you live on well water, you may have issues with the following chemicals —

Radium in Amherst water.

A radioactive element, it can cause bone and other cancers. It occurs naturally in groundwater, as oil and gas extraction impacts the concentrations.

Chromium in Amherst water.

This is a carcinogen that passes to drinking water through pollution as well as naturally-occurring minerals in groundwater.

Arsenic in Amherst water.

Long-term exposure can cause cancer, skin lesions, cardiovascular issues, and diabetes. It also impacts cognitive development in growing humans, including in-utero, infants, and young adults.

Learn more about arsenic in drinking water.

NH Tap’s recommendations for clean water.

It’s important for everyone to pay attention to their local water standards and quality reports regardless of whether they use well or city-supplied tap water in their homes. While many people believe that bottled water is a safer alternative than tap water due to its regulated production process and strict safety standards, studies have shown that bottled water is no cleaner than tap water when it comes to certain contaminants.

While city water depends on chemicals to clean the water, there are other options. NH Tap developed whole-home filtration systems specifically to remove these and other common water contaminants, including PFAS. Our long-lasting, single-tank units can remove chlorine, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, PCBs, and more — helping you source the cleanest water for your home.

Water Test - NH Tap

Schedule a water test to find out if you have contaminants in your water.

It’s clear that understanding the current state of your local city and well water in Amherst is essential if you want to ensure you have safe drinking water in your home or business. If you’re concerned about your water quality, NH Tap can provide a range of tests (some for free) to check the precise levels of contamination, letting us know what filtration system will best serve you.

Getting the cleanest water starts with scheduling your water test.

Well Water Filtration System

Get the best in public or well water filtration for Amherst, NH.

By staying up-to-date on testing results from both your local public works department as well as the NHDES website, you will be able to make informed decisions about how best to protect yourself and your family from potential contaminants present in your drinking supply—whether you get your supply from a local well system or through city-supplied taps!

We understand the water issues. We are on a mission to bring absolutely pure drinking water to all NH residents at an incredible price. We’ve developed whole-home water filtration systems for Amherst, NH that can remove any lingering groundwater contaminants or chemicals added in the water refinery process. We also have specialized PFAS water filtration systems to tackle that issue specifically.

You get truly pure drinking water.

Because we customize our water filtration systems to order, NH Tap has been able to tailor our filtration media to remove the contaminants shown to exist in Amherst’s public water and private water.

NH Tap offers installation on all of our filtration systems, a 5-year warranty (including parts and labor), and a lifetime of support. Our Whole House Water Filtration System is customized to order with the correct media mix to remove chlorine, cast iron, chromium, and any other chemicals that exist in Amherst’s tap water.

Whether you have well water or use city water, NH Tap loves to help families get peace of mind and delicious, clean water. Rest assured, and enjoy only the purest water to every faucet and appliance in your home!