Community Water System · PWS NH2494010
Cheshire County Complex
Keene, New Hampshire 03431 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 380 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 380
- People served
- 370
- EPA violations
- 52
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 370 drinking-water violations at Cheshire County Complex, 14% of them health-based - above the New Hampshire per-system average.
- 370
- Total EPA violations on record
- 14%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 380
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Cheshire County Complex
Cheshire County Complex is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 380 residents in Keene, New Hampshire (Cheshire County) through 6 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 370 total violations for this system , of which 52 (14%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 316 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2021.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 24 violations (TT, health-based). 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%).
Cheshire County Complex's 370 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.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 6
- County
- Cheshire
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 0
- Monitoring Violations
- 316
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 52
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 24 | 2019 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | TT | 14 | 2017 |
| CARBON, TOTAL | TT | 10 | 2005 |
| Arsenic | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| BHC-GAMMA | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Cadmium | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Xylenes, Total | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Toxaphene | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| CYANIDE | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Fluoride | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Vinyl chloride | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Simazine | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Selenium | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Picloram | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Dinoseb | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Hexachlorocyclopentadiene | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Atrazine | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| LASSO | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Heptachlor epoxide | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| CHLOROBENZENE | MR | 5 | 1996 |
| Benzene | MR | 5 | 1996 |
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 Cheshire County Complex.
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 NH2494010 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
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 SDWISViolation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 4 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 5000 |
| 2019 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 24 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 0200 |
| 2019 | Chlorine | MR | 2 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 0999 |
| 2017 | Lead and Copper Rule | TT | 14 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 5000 |
| 2013 | CARBON, TOTAL | MR | 4 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 2920 |
| 2011 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 4 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 0300 |
| 2011 | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 4 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 2456 |
| 2011 | TTHM | MR | 4 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 2950 |
| 2010 | Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 2 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 7000 |
| 2005 | CARBON, TOTAL | TT | 10 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 2920 |
| 1996 | Arsenic | MR | 5 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 1005 |
| 1996 | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 2378 |
| 1996 | BHC-GAMMA | MR | 5 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 2010 |
| 1996 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 2380 |
| 1996 | Cadmium | MR | 5 | SDWIS / NH2494010 / 1015 |
How Cheshire County Complex Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Cheshire County Complex | New Hampshire avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 370 | 63.6 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 52 | 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 | 380 | 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 Cheshire County Complex water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Cheshire County Complex serve? ▼
What type of violations does Cheshire County Complex have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Cheshire County Complex water? ▼
What water source does Cheshire County Complex use? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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.