Well water in Windham, New Hampshire
In Windham, 36% of 471 private wells tested between 2006 and 2020 had arsenic above the New Hampshire guidance level (5 ug/L), according to NH DHHS.
533 private wells tested 2006 to 2020 in state summaries; 32 individual samples from 29 wells, 1975 to 2022. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.
Separately, a USGS and NHDES statistical model puts the chance that a bedrock well in Windham exceeds 5 ug/L of arsenic at 37% (as low as 14% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radon | 82 | 67% | 2,727 | 9,180 | 23,086 | 2,000 pCi/L | |
| Sodium | 453 | 53% | 22 | 140 | 279 | 20 mg/L | |
| Arsenic | 471 | 36% | 2.2 | 73.7 | 766 | 5 ug/L | |
| Lead (stagnant) | 171 | 25% | 5.3 | 61.9 | 1,850 | 15 ug/L | |
| Copper (stagnant) | 171 | 21% | 0.3 | 5.2 | 32.1 | 1.3 mg/L | |
| Iron | 456 | 7% | 0 | 500 | 5,100 | 300 ug/L | |
| Manganese | 454 | 5% | 0 | 300 | 1,800 | 300 ug/L | |
| Uranium | 452 | 4% | 2 | 27.5 | 260 | 30 ug/L | |
| Nitrate | 268 | 3% | 0.4 | 7.8 | 16 | 10 mg/L | |
| Chloride | 473 | 2% | 42 | 170 | 580 | 250 mg/L | |
| Fluoride | 533 | <1% | 0.1 | 0.5 | 5.9 | 4 mg/L | |
| Nitrite | 268 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 1 mg/L |
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Windham. 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 1975 to 2022 | 32 | 81% | 16% | 0.65 | 150 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1975 to 2022 | 29 | 79% | 0% | 0.14 | 8.71 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1975 to 2022 | 25 | 100% | 0% | 0.025 | 1.12 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Uranium 2012 to 2022 | 22 | 91% | 0% | 2.04 | 14.4 | 30 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1975 to 2021 | 15 | 73% | 0% | 0.1 | 1.4 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1975 to 2021 | 12 | 75% | 0% | 0.195 | 7.4 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Manganese 1975 to 2022 | 32 | 66% | no limit | 1.05 | 590 | 300 ug/L health guideline | |
| Chloride 1975 to 2021 | 15 | 87% | no limit | 14 | 130 | 250 mg/L nuisance level | |
| Sodium 1975 to 2021 | 13 | 100% | no limit | 13 | 31 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Radon (1).
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What this means
Among homeowners in Windham who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (36% of 471 wells), lead (25% of 171 wells), and copper (21% of 171 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 67% of 82 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 Windham
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)11 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS2 unlined landfills on record locally.
- Metals panel7 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Radon67% of 82 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Sodium53% of 453 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Lead25% of 171 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Copper21% of 171 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Iron7% of 456 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Manganese5% of 454 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Uranium4% of 452 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
- Nitrate3% of 268 local wells tested were above the New Hampshire guidance level.
Wells in Windham
2,058 domestic wells in Windham are on record with the state since 1973. 99% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 405 feet deep (one in ten goes past 1,000 feet).
In a typical Windham well, bedrock starts about 8 feet down, the median yield is 10 gallons per minute, 17% 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 Windham
NHDES records 11 leaking underground storage tank sites, 2 unlined landfills, 7 hazardous waste sites, and 10 reported spills and releases in Windham, among 197 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.
- 11
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 2
- unlined landfillsOlder unlined landfills are a leading source of PFAS, VOCs and metals in nearby wells.
- 7
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 10
- reported spills and releasesMost spills are fuel; a few are solvents or chemicals that reach the water table.
- 25
- registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
- 46
- locally identified potential contamination sourcesTowns inventory these (vehicle repair, labs, salt piles, farms) when they draw wellhead protection maps.
- 95
- 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
- Copper
- Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Radon
- Aeration (bubble-up or diffused) whole-house; Granular activated carbon whole-house (lower levels only)
- Sodium
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
- Fluoride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Windham?
The typical domestic well in Windham is 405 feet deep, based on 2,058 wells reported to the state since 1973. One in ten is deeper than 1,000 feet. 99% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Windham?
Arsenic was detected in 81% of 32 public well samples in Windham, and 16% 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 Windham?
The median radon level across 1 public samples in Windham was 6,300 pCi/L, with a high of 6,300 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Windham?
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: 196 samples in Windham. 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 Windham, up to 533 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: 2,303 well records in Windham, 2,058 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: 197 regulated sites located in Windham. 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.