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Community Water System · PWS NH0921010

Gorham Water and Sewer Dept

Gorham, New Hampshire 03581 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 2,630 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

2,630
People served
85
EPA violations
7
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 85 drinking-water violations at Gorham Water and Sewer Dept, 8% of them health-based - above the New Hampshire per-system average.

85
Total EPA violations on record
8%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
2,630
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Gorham Water and Sewer Dept

Gorham Water and Sewer Dept is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 2,630 residents in Gorham, New Hampshire (Coos County) through 1,052 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 85 total violations for this system , of which 7 (8%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 70 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2008.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Nitrate, recorded in 4 violations (MR). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across New Hampshire, EPA tracks 2,453 public water systems serving 1,242,123 people, with 155,970 cumulative violations and 29,649 health-based violations on record. About 90% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 63.6 violations. Statewide, 23 of 51 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (45.1%).

Gorham Water and Sewer Dept's 85 violations sit above the New Hampshire average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
2,630
Total Violations
85
Health-Based Violations
7
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
1,052
County
Coos
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
3
Monitoring Violations
70
Treatment Tech Violations
4

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Nitrate MR 4 1994
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 4 1999
Coliform (TCR) MCL 3 1992
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 2008
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 2 1993
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 2 1993
Xylenes, Total MR 2 1993
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 2 1993
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 2 1993
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 2 1993
Vinyl chloride MR 2 1993
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 2 1993
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 2 1993
Carbon tetrachloride MR 2 1993
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 2 1993
Tetrachloroethylene MR 2 1993
CHLOROBENZENE MR 2 1993
Benzene MR 2 1993
Toluene MR 2 1993
Styrene MR 2 1993
Barium MR 2 1994
Cadmium MR 2 1994
Chromium MR 2 1994
CYANIDE MR 2 1994
Fluoride MR 2 1994
Mercury MR 2 1994
Antimony, Total MR 2 1994
Beryllium, Total MR 2 1994
Selenium MR 2 1994
Nickel MR 2 1994

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Gorham Water and Sewer Dept.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID NH0921010 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

New Hampshire Drinking Water Authority

New Hampshire's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.

Find NH regulator via EPA SDWIS

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2008 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 7000
1999 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 4 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 0200
1994 Nitrate MR 4 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1040
1994 Barium MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1010
1994 Cadmium MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1015
1994 Chromium MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1020
1994 CYANIDE MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1024
1994 Fluoride MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1025
1994 Mercury MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1035
1994 Antimony, Total MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1074
1994 Beryllium, Total MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1075
1994 Selenium MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1045
1994 Nickel MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1036
1994 Thallium, Total MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1085
1994 Arsenic MR 2 SDWIS / NH0921010 / 1005

How Gorham Water and Sewer Dept Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Gorham Water and Sewer Dept New Hampshire avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 85 63.6 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 7 12.1 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 45.1% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 2,630 506 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 2,453 regulated public water systems in New Hampshire.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gorham Water and Sewer Dept water safe to drink? ▼
Gorham Water and Sewer Dept (PWS ID: NH0921010) has 85 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 2,630 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Gorham Water and Sewer Dept serve? ▼
Gorham Water and Sewer Dept serves 2,630 people in Gorham, New Hampshire. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 1,052 service connections.
What type of violations does Gorham Water and Sewer Dept have? ▼
Gorham Water and Sewer Dept has 85 total violations: 7 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 70 monitoring/reporting violations, and 4 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Gorham Water and Sewer Dept water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Gorham Water and Sewer Dept under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Gorham Water and Sewer Dept use? ▼
Gorham Water and Sewer Dept uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.