Well water in Orford, New Hampshire
In Orford, 9% of 33 private wells tested between 2006 and 2020 had lead above the New Hampshire guidance level (15 ug/L), according to NH DHHS.
49 private wells tested 2006 to 2020 in state summaries; 9 individual samples from 7 wells, 1986 to 1992. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.
Separately, a USGS and NHDES statistical model puts the chance that a bedrock well in Orford exceeds 5 ug/L of arsenic at 9% (as low as 0% in parts of town), based on geology rather than tests.
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.
| Contaminant | Wells tested | Above state level | Median | 95th pct | Highest | State level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 38 | 29% | 100 | 600 | 900 | 300 ug/L | |
| Sodium | 38 | 26% | 8 | 53.3 | 153 | 20 mg/L | |
| Lead (stagnant) | 33 | 9% | 1.9 | 43.9 | 80.2 | 15 ug/L | |
| Copper (stagnant) | 33 | 6% | 0.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 mg/L | |
| Chloride | 46 | 4% | 5.7 | 182 | 310 | 250 mg/L | |
| Arsenic | 39 | 3% | 0.7 | 3.4 | 9.2 | 5 ug/L | |
| Uranium | 38 | 3% | 0.7 | 20 | 65 | 30 ug/L | |
| Nitrate | 49 | 0% | 0 | 0.5 | 9.3 | 10 mg/L | |
| Nitrite | 49 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 mg/L | |
| Fluoride | 43 | 0% | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 4 mg/L | |
| Manganese | 38 | 0% | 0 | 300 | 300 | 300 ug/L |
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What this means
Among homeowners in Orford who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were lead (9% of 33 wells), copper (6% of 33 wells), and arsenic (3% of 39 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.
Iron and sodium 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 Orford
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)2 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
- Metals panel2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Iron29% of 38 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Sodium26% of 38 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Lead9% of 33 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Copper6% of 33 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Chloride4% of 46 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Arsenic3% of 39 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Uranium3% of 38 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
Wells in Orford
230 domestic wells in Orford are on record with the state since 1984. 97% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 280 feet deep (one in ten goes past 500 feet).
In a typical Orford well, bedrock starts about 20 feet down, the median yield is 15 gallons per minute, 11% 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 Orford
NHDES records 2 leaking underground storage tank sites, 1 unlined landfill, and 2 hazardous waste sites in Orford, among 25 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.
- 2
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 1
- unlined landfillOlder unlined landfills are a leading source of PFAS, VOCs and metals in nearby wells.
- 2
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 6
- registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
- 2
- locally identified potential contamination sourcesTowns inventory these (vehicle repair, labs, salt piles, farms) when they draw wellhead protection maps.
- 11
- other remediation projects
- 1
- other solid waste facility
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
- Iron
- Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
- Sodium
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
- Fluoride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
- Manganese
- Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
Book a free water test in Orford
A licensed local water treatment company tests your tap water in your home, walks you through the numbers, and quotes treatment only if something needs fixing. Free, about 30 minutes, no obligation.
Common questions
How deep are wells in Orford?
The typical domestic well in Orford is 280 feet deep, based on 230 wells reported to the state since 1984. One in ten is deeper than 500 feet. 97% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Orford?
Arsenic was detected in 0% of 1 public well samples in Orford, and 0% 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 Orford?
The median radon level across 1 public samples in Orford was 4,700 pCi/L, with a high of 4,700 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Orford?
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.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 41 samples in Orford. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- NH DHHS WISDOM private well summaries: summaries for 11 contaminants in Orford, up to 49 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: 242 well records in Orford, 230 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: 25 regulated sites located in Orford. 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.