Well water in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
In Cheshire County, 17% of 375 private wells tested between 2006 and 2020 had lead above the New Hampshire guidance level (15 ug/L), according to NH DHHS.
743 private wells tested 2006 to 2020 in state summaries; 101 individual samples from 89 wells, 1965 to 2025. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.
NHDES samples private wells near known or suspected PFAS sources (industrial sites, airports, landfills, fire training areas), and wells with a detection are resampled over time. PFAS shares describe wells that were tested for a reason, not every well in the area.
An estimated 21,890 people in Cheshire County get their drinking water from a private well, per NH DHHS WISDOM, BRFSS 2020. That is about 48% of residents (survey range 41% to 54%).
What homeowner tests found
NH DHHS WISDOM private well summaries: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2006 to 2020. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA. County and state figures combine the town summaries, weighted by wells tested; medians are not combined.
| Contaminant | Wells tested | Above state level | Median | 95th pct | Highest | State level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radon | 78 | 59% | 36,000 | 2,000 pCi/L | |||
| Sodium | 450 | 28% | 550 | 20 mg/L | |||
| Iron | 428 | 24% | 69,000 | 300 ug/L | |||
| Lead (stagnant) | 375 | 17% | 205 | 15 ug/L | |||
| Copper (stagnant) | 372 | 13% | 12.3 | 1.3 mg/L | |||
| Manganese | 451 | 5% | 2,400 | 300 ug/L | |||
| Arsenic | 492 | 5% | 34.1 | 5 ug/L | |||
| Chloride | 639 | 3% | 660 | 250 mg/L | |||
| Uranium | 434 | 2% | 126 | 30 ug/L | |||
| Nitrate | 637 | <1% | 14 | 10 mg/L | |||
| Fluoride | 743 | <1% | 4.5 | 4 mg/L | |||
| Nitrite | 637 | 0% | 0.1 | 1 mg/L |
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Cheshire County. Above limit means above the EPA maximum contaminant level; where EPA has no enforceable limit, the row shows a health guideline or nuisance level instead.
| Contaminant | Samples | Detected | Above limit | Median | Highest | Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic 1986 to 2011 | 21 | 38% | 5% | 0 | 23 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1966 to 2011 | 90 | 57% | 3% | 0 | 19.9 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1966 to 2011 | 68 | 90% | 0% | 0.2 | 3.1 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1966 to 2011 | 19 | 47% | 0% | 0 | 10 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1966 to 2011 | 18 | 28% | 0% | 0 | 0.013 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1965 to 2011 | 101 | 92% | no limit | 10 | 220 | 250 mg/L nuisance level | |
| Manganese 1966 to 2011 | 68 | 81% | no limit | 54.5 | 2,000 | 300 ug/L health guideline | |
| Sodium 1966 to 2011 | 67 | 97% | no limit | 8 | 76 | 20 mg/L health guideline | |
| Radon 1986 to 2002 | 11 | 100% | no limit | 6,300 | 61,200 | 2,000 pCi/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: PFOA (5), PFOS (5), Uranium (6), PFHxS (5), PFNA (5), Radium (226 + 228) (3), E. coli (1), Iron (2).
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What this means
Among homeowners in Cheshire County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were lead (17% of 375 wells), copper (13% of 372 wells), and arsenic (5% of 492 wells). These are ordinary wells tested by their owners, so the shares are the best available picture of a typical well here, with one caveat: people test more often when they suspect a problem.
Radon was above the New Hampshire guidance level of 2,000 pCi/L in 59% of 78 wells. Radon in water matters because it moves into indoor air during showers and laundry.
Sodium and iron exceed the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; these are mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.
What to test for in Cheshire County
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)106 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS28 unlined landfills on record locally.
- Metals panel47 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Radon59% of 78 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Sodium28% of 450 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Iron24% of 428 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Lead17% of 375 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Copper13% of 372 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Manganese5% of 451 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Chloride3% of 639 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Uranium2% of 434 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
Wells in Cheshire County
4,787 domestic wells in Cheshire County are on record with the state since 1984. 99% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 320 feet deep (one in ten goes past 505 feet).
In a typical Cheshire County well, bedrock starts about 21 feet down, the median yield is 6 gallons per minute, 24% of wells yield under 3 gallons per minute and usually need a storage tank.
Bedrock wells are where arsenic, uranium and radon come from: the water sits in fractures in granite and metamorphic rock and picks up whatever the rock carries. That is why testing for those three matters more here than in a dug or gravel well.
Find your own well's report
The state keeps the driller's report for most wells drilled since 1984. It tells you how deep your well is, where bedrock starts, and how much water it makes, which decides what treatment can work.
- Open NHDES OneStop and choose Water Well.
- Enter your town and one word of your street name. Leave out the house number and the Road or Street part; a short search matches more.
- In the results, click Show for your address to see the report: total depth, depth to bedrock, casing, yield in gallons per minute, static water level, and the driller.
- Save Results exports the whole list to a spreadsheet.
Reports exist only for wells drilled since January 1984, when reporting became mandatory, and street names are as they were when the well was drilled.
Contamination sources on record in Cheshire County
NHDES records 106 leaking underground storage tank sites, 28 unlined landfills, 47 hazardous waste sites, and 77 reported spills and releases in Cheshire County, among 1,330 regulated sites in total. Groundwater does not follow property lines, so a well within a few hundred feet of one of these is worth testing for what that site could release.
- 106
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 28
- unlined landfillsOlder unlined landfills are a leading source of PFAS, VOCs and metals in nearby wells.
- 47
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 77
- reported spills and releasesMost spills are fuel; a few are solvents or chemicals that reach the water table.
- 328
- registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
- 87
- locally identified potential contamination sourcesTowns inventory these (vehicle repair, labs, salt piles, farms) when they draw wellhead protection maps.
- 628
- other remediation projects
- 29
- other solid waste facilities
Treatment that fits the local profile
- Lead
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Certified lead-removal carbon filter; Neutralizing filter to raise pH and stop leaching
- Copper
- Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Arsenic
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
- Radon
- Aeration (bubble-up or diffused) whole-house; Granular activated carbon whole-house (lower levels only)
- Sodium
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
- Nitrate
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Book a free water test in Cheshire County
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Cheshire County?
The typical domestic well in Cheshire County is 320 feet deep, based on 4,787 wells reported to the state since 1984. One in ten is deeper than 505 feet. 99% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Cheshire County?
Arsenic was detected in 38% of 21 public well samples in Cheshire County, and 5% were above the EPA limit of 10 ug/L. Arsenic has no taste or smell; a lab test is the only way to know your level.
How high is radon in well water in Cheshire County?
The median radon level across 11 public samples in Cheshire County was 6,300 pCi/L, with a high of 61,200 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Cheshire County?
Test for bacteria and nitrate every year. Test once for arsenic, uranium, radon, fluoride, manganese and PFAS, then again every three to five years or after any change in taste, color, or plumbing.
Towns in Cheshire County
- Alstead0% nitrate
- Chesterfield11% copper
- Dublin20% copper
- Fitzwilliam19% lead
- Harrisville0% nitrate
- Keene0% fluoride
- Rindge15% lead
- Stoddard22% lead
- Swanzey0% fluoride
- Walpole0% fluoride
- Westmoreland0% fluoride
12 towns have fewer than 30 public samples and are included in the Cheshire County totals above rather than shown separately: Gilsum, Hinsdale, Jaffrey, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Richmond, Roxbury, Sullivan, Surry, Troy, Winchester.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 475 samples in Cheshire County. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- NHDES PFAS sampling: 20 samples in Cheshire County. PFAS results for private wells from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Environmental Monitoring Database. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- NH DHHS WISDOM private well summaries: summaries for 12 contaminants in Cheshire County, up to 743 wells each. Town summaries of private well tests run by the New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories, published by NH DHHS through the WISDOM environmental public health tracking portal. Exceedance shares use New Hampshire guidance levels, which are stricter than EPA for arsenic (5 ug/L), manganese (0.3 mg/L), radon (2,000 pCi/L) and sodium (20 mg/L). Statistics for small counts are suppressed (*). Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- NHDES Water Well Inventory: 5,538 well records in Cheshire County, 4,787 domestic. Well construction records reported to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Water Well Board. Only aggregates are shown; owner names and addresses are never stored. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- NHDES OneStop regulated sites: 1,330 regulated sites located in Cheshire County. Remediation sites, underground storage tanks, solid waste facilities and potential contamination sources from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services OneStop database. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
Non-detects count as samples and are treated as zero when computing medians. Exactly at the limit counts as not above it. A sample belongs to the town containing the well's reported coordinates.