Well water in Litchfield, New Hampshire

In Litchfield, the public well data comes from targeted PFAS sampling near known sources: 61% of 472 PFOA results were above the EPA limit (4 ng/L), based on data from NHDES PFAS sampling and USGS Water Quality Portal.

28 private wells tested 2006 to 2020 in state summaries; 473 individual samples from 253 wells, 2000 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. In that targeted sampling, 8% of 473 PFOS results in Litchfield were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L. In that targeted sampling, 4% of 473 PFHxS results in Litchfield were above the EPA limit of 10 ng/L.

Separately, a USGS and NHDES statistical model puts the chance that a bedrock well in Litchfield exceeds 5 ug/L of arsenic at 62% (as low as 2% 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
Fluoride	28	4%	0.1	1.3	5.4	4 mg/L
Nitrite	27	0%	0	0	0	1 mg/L
Chloride	27	0%	62	127	130	250 mg/L
Nitrate	27	0%	0.3	3.9	4.7	10 mg/L

What individual samples found

Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Litchfield. 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
PFOA 2020 to 2025	472	92%	61%	6.2	110	4 ng/L EPA limit
PFOS 2020 to 2025	473	56%	8%	0.49	71	4 ng/L EPA limit
PFHxS 2020 to 2025	473	79%	4%	0.76	110	10 ng/L EPA limit
PFNA 2020 to 2025	451	19%	0%	0	2.7	10 ng/L EPA limit

Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Nitrate (6), Arsenic (4), Uranium (4), Lead (4), Fluoride (3), Copper (3), Radium (226 + 228) (2), Manganese (4), Chloride (3), Sodium (3), Radon (2).

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What this means

Among homeowners in Litchfield who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were fluoride (4% of 28 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.

What to test for in Litchfield

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)2 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
Metals panel3 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
PFOA61% of 472 local samples were above the limit.
PFOS8% of 473 local samples were above the limit.
PFHxS4% of 473 local samples were above the limit.
Fluoride4% of 28 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
RadonMedian local reading is 2,355 pCi/L.
CopperDetected in 100% of local samples.
ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.

Wells in Litchfield

291 domestic wells in Litchfield are on record with the state since 1984. 92% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 280 feet deep (one in ten goes past 550 feet).

In a typical Litchfield well, bedrock starts about 38 feet down, the median yield is 8.5 gallons per minute, 13% 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.

1980s

136

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

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 Litchfield

NHDES records 2 leaking underground storage tank sites, 1 unlined landfill, 3 hazardous waste sites, and 1 reported spill or release in Litchfield, among 46 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.
3: hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
1: reported spill or releaseMost spills are fuel; a few are solvents or chemicals that reach the water table.
10: registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
7: locally identified potential contamination sourcesTowns inventory these (vehicle repair, labs, salt piles, farms) when they draw wellhead protection maps.
20: other remediation projects
2: other solid waste facilities

Treatment that fits the local profile

PFOA: Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
PFOS: Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
PFHxS: Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
Copper: Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis
Manganese: Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis

Book a free water test in Litchfield

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 Litchfield?

The typical domestic well in Litchfield is 280 feet deep, based on 291 wells reported to the state since 1984. One in ten is deeper than 550 feet. 92% are drilled into bedrock.

Is there arsenic in well water in Litchfield?

Arsenic was detected in 75% of 4 public well samples in Litchfield, 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 Litchfield?

The median radon level across 2 public samples in Litchfield was 2,355 pCi/L, with a high of 2,430 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Litchfield?

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

NHDES PFAS sampling: 1,869 samples in Litchfield. PFAS results for private wells from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Environmental Monitoring Database. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
USGS Water Quality Portal: 38 samples in Litchfield. 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 4 contaminants in Litchfield, up to 28 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: 480 well records in Litchfield, 291 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: 46 regulated sites located in Litchfield. 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.