Well water in Stratham, New Hampshire
In Stratham, 50% of 113 private wells tested between 2006 and 2020 had arsenic above the New Hampshire guidance level (5 ug/L), according to NH DHHS.
152 private wells tested 2006 to 2020 in state summaries; 276 individual samples from 273 wells, 1984 to 2024. 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, 20% of 276 PFOA results in Stratham were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L. In that targeted sampling, 8% of 276 PFOS results in Stratham were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L.
Separately, a USGS and NHDES statistical model puts the chance that a bedrock well in Stratham exceeds 5 ug/L of arsenic at 48% (as low as 22% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 101 | 81% | 61.6 | 182 | 280 | 20 mg/L | |
| Arsenic | 113 | 50% | 4.9 | 32.8 | 55 | 5 ug/L | |
| Radon | 43 | 37% | 1,799 | 3455 | 6,248 | 2,000 pCi/L | |
| Lead (stagnant) | 85 | 11% | 1.3 | 72.7 | 4,860 | 15 ug/L | |
| Iron | 100 | 8% | 0 | 300 | 700 | 300 ug/L | |
| Chloride | 109 | 7% | 61 | 260 | 560 | 250 mg/L | |
| Copper (stagnant) | 85 | 4% | 0 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 1.3 mg/L | |
| Nitrate | 101 | 1% | 0 | 2.5 | 10 | 10 mg/L | |
| Fluoride | 152 | 0% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 4 mg/L | |
| Nitrite | 101 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 1 mg/L | |
| Uranium | 101 | 0% | 1.6 | 5 | 10 | 30 ug/L | |
| Manganese | 100 | 0% | 0 | 100 | 200 | 300 ug/L |
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Stratham. 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 1985 to 2022 | 23 | 87% | 35% | 2.4 | 40.2 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| PFOA 2023 to 2024 | 276 | 67% | 20% | 0.845 | 31.4 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFOS 2023 to 2024 | 276 | 46% | 8% | 0 | 27.5 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFHxS 2023 to 2024 | 276 | 62% | <1% | 0.33 | 12.4 | 10 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFNA 2023 to 2024 | 276 | 9% | 0% | 0 | 3.64 | 10 ng/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1985 to 2022 | 22 | 59% | 0% | 0.075 | 10.2 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1985 to 2022 | 22 | 68% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.064 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Uranium 2021 to 2022 | 20 | 90% | 0% | 1.03 | 3.99 | 30 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1984 to 2021 | 12 | 75% | 0% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1984 to 2021 | 10 | 20% | 0% | 0 | 2.22 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Manganese 1984 to 2022 | 27 | 78% | no limit | 1.4 | 161 | 300 ug/L health guideline | |
| Chloride 1984 to 2021 | 12 | 92% | no limit | 16 | 95 | 250 mg/L nuisance level | |
| Sodium 1985 to 2021 | 10 | 100% | no limit | 20 | 160 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
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What this means
Among homeowners in Stratham who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (50% of 113 wells), lead (11% of 85 wells), and copper (4% of 85 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 37% of 43 wells. Radon in water matters because it moves into indoor air during showers and laundry.
Sodium exceeds the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; this is mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.
What to test for in Stratham
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)10 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
- Metals panel1 hazardous waste site on record locally.
- Sodium81% of 101 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Radon37% of 43 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- PFOA20% of 276 local samples were above the limit.
- Lead11% of 85 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Iron8% of 100 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- PFOS8% of 276 local samples were above the limit.
- Chloride7% of 109 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Copper4% of 85 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
Wells in Stratham
802 domestic wells in Stratham are on record with the state since 1984. 100% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 220 feet deep (one in ten goes past 420 feet).
In a typical Stratham well, bedrock starts about 30 feet down, the median yield is 14.5 gallons per minute, 4% 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 Stratham
NHDES records 10 leaking underground storage tank sites, 1 unlined landfill, 1 hazardous waste site, and 4 reported spills and releases in Stratham, among 118 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.
- 10
- 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.
- 1
- hazardous waste siteSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 4
- reported spills and releasesMost spills are fuel; a few are solvents or chemicals that reach the water table.
- 18
- registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
- 25
- locally identified potential contamination sourcesTowns inventory these (vehicle repair, labs, salt piles, farms) when they draw wellhead protection maps.
- 58
- other remediation projects
- 1
- other solid waste facility
Treatment that fits the local profile
- Arsenic
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
- Lead
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Certified lead-removal carbon filter; Neutralizing filter to raise pH and stop leaching
- Radon
- Aeration (bubble-up or diffused) whole-house; Granular activated carbon whole-house (lower levels only)
- Sodium
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
- Iron
- Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
- PFOA
- Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Stratham?
The typical domestic well in Stratham is 220 feet deep, based on 802 wells reported to the state since 1984. One in ten is deeper than 420 feet. 100% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Stratham?
Arsenic was detected in 87% of 23 public well samples in Stratham, and 35% 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 often should I test a private well in Stratham?
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: 1,104 samples in Stratham. PFAS results for private wells from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Environmental Monitoring Database. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 158 samples in Stratham. 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 12 contaminants in Stratham, up to 152 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: 900 well records in Stratham, 802 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: 118 regulated sites located in Stratham. 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.