Manchester, NH


Manchester, NH

The City of Manchester is home to an estimated 111,196 residents, and it’s located in Hillsborough County, NH.

This report will help you become better acquainted with Manchester and the surrounding area by addressing the following questions:

  • Are there any hazardous sites in Hillsborough County, NH?
  • How clean is the air in Hillsborough County, NH?
  • What’s the average radon level for homes in Hillsborough County, NH?
  • Is the water in Hillsborough County, NH safe to drink?

Hazardous Sites near Manchester, NH

There are five Superfund sites in Hillsborough County, NH. Superfund sites, like New Hampshire Plating Co. in Merrimack, NH, are areas that have been contaminated with hazardous substances. If not for the cleanup efforts orchestrated by the EPA, these sites could endanger people living in nearby communities.

The EPA uses the Hazardous Ranking System (HRS) to quantify the risk a contaminated site poses to human health and the environment. Sites assigned HRS scores of 28.5 or greater qualify for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL), and are eligible to receive federal funding for cleanup efforts.

Before the EPA deletes a site from the NPL, it conducts reviews to ensure the cleanup was sufficient. As a result, some sites remain on the active site list long after cleanup activities are complete.

For more information about the Superfund sites located in the Manchester, NH area, be sure to review the map and background information provided below:


Map Legend:

33011

A. New Hampshire Plating Co. (HRS Score: 50)

The New Hampshire Plating Co. site, where an electroplating facility was operated from 1962 to 1985, is located in Merrimack, NH.

Contaminants found at the New Hampshire Plating Co. site include:

  • Arsenic
  • Beryllium
  • Cadmium
  • Chloroform
  • Chromium
33011

B. Savage Municipal Water Supply (HRS Score: 38)

The Savage Municipal Water Supply site, which consists of a municipal well and the underlying aquifer, is located in Milford, NH.

Contaminants found at the Savage Municipal Water Supply site include:

  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Beryllium
  • Cadmium
33011

C. South Municipal Water Supply Well (HRS Score: 36)

The South Municipal Water Supply Well site, the result of groundwater contamination caused by the New Hampshire Ball Bearings facility, is located in Peterborough, NH.

Contaminants found at the South Municipal Water Supply Well site include:

  • Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
  • 1,1,1-Trichloroethane
  • 1,4-Dioxane
  • Cis-1,2-Dichloroethene
33011

D. Fletcher's Paint Works & Storage (HRS Score: 35)

The Fletcher's Paint Works & Storage site, where paints and stains were manufactured and sold from 1949 until 1991, is located in Milford, NH.

Contaminants found at the Fletcher's Paint Works & Storage site include:

  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Cadmium
  • Chromium
33011

E. Sylvester (HRS Score: No Data)

The Sylvester site, the location of an illegal waste disposal operation that began in the 1960s, is located in Nashua, NH.

Contaminants found at the Sylvester site include:

  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Chloroform
  • Voc
  • Methyl Acetate

Air Quality in the Manchester, NH Area

The two most widespread forms of air pollution are ozone (smog) and particle pollution (soot). Exposure to these harmful pollutants, for even just a short period, can have adverse effects on your health.

Thanks to data collected by air monitoring equipment located across the country, the American Lung Association (ALA) is able to assess and track our air quality using three metrics:

  • Ozone
  • Short-term Particle Pollution
  • Year-round Particle Pollution

In their 2019 annual report, the ALA rated the air quality in Hillsborough County, NH as follows:

Ground-Level
Ozone Pollution

Grading Scale: A-F

Short-Term
Particle Pollution

Grading Scale: A-F

Year-Round
Particle Pollution

Grading Scale: Pass/Fail

Radon Levels in Manchester, NH Area

Air quality inside your home can be impacted by a number of factors, including the presence of hazardous substances in building materials (asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, etc.) and local radon levels.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas you cannot see or smell. It can build up inside your home and negatively impact your indoor air quality as well as your health.

To provide a guideline, the EPA assigned one of three zones to each U.S. county and county equivalent:

  • Zone 1 (higher radon levels)
  • Zone 2 (moderate levels)
  • Zone 3 (lower levels)

Indoor radon readings in Hillsborough County, NH are expected to average from 2 to 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), so the county has been assigned EPA Radon Zone 2.

EPA Radon Zone

According to the EPA, you should consider acting to reduce your home's radon level if it measures between 2 and 4 pCi/L, so if you're contemplating buying a home in Manchester, NH, you should have a radon test performed.

Water Quality in Manchester, NH Area

In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the EPA sets regulatory limits for drinking water contaminants known to cause adverse health effects.

The following Hillsborough County, NH water provider(s) violated the maximum allowable level for one or more regulated contaminants:

Filter ValueWater SystemContaminantHealth Effects
33011Collins LandingArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Crotched Mountain MntncTotal Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)Increased risk of cancer 
33011Emerald LakeArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Emerald LakeFluorideBone disease (pain and tenderness of the bones); children may get mottled teeth 
33011Francestown Village WaterArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Frost Trailer ParkArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Grasmere Water Pct/MainTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 
33011Grasmere Wp/LandmarkTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 
33011Greenfield CommonsArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Hillsborough Water WorksTotal Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)Increased risk of cancer 
33011Hillsborough Water WorksTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 
33011Hudson Mobile Home EstsArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Long Pond WoodsArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Mountainside At Crotched MtnArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Old Lawrence RoadCombined Radium (-226 and -228)Increased risk of cancer 
33011Old Lawrence RoadCombined UraniumIncreased risk of cancer, kidney toxicity 
33011Old Lawrence RoadGross Alpha, Excl. Radon and UIncreased risk of cancer
33011Orchard HighlandsArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Peu/Gage HillGross Alpha, Excl. Radon and UIncreased risk of cancer
33011Powder HillTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 
33011Rolling Acres MHPCombined Radium (-226 and -228)Increased risk of cancer 
33011Rolling Acres MHPCombined UraniumIncreased risk of cancer, kidney toxicity 
33011Rolling Acres MHPGross Alpha, Excl. Radon and UIncreased risk of cancer
33011South Weare WaterArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011South Weare WaterFluorideBone disease (pain and tenderness of the bones); children may get mottled teeth 
33011Sugar Hill Manor MHPArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
33011Wilder Village ClusterArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer

In addition to setting enforceable standards for harmful contaminants, the EPA also established guidelines to assist public water providers in managing the taste, odor and color of their drinking water.

To find out more about what’s in your drinking water, contact your utility company and request a copy of the latest Consumer Confidence Report.


Sources and Methods

Hazardous Sites: Identified using a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hazardous sites detailed on trendingtowns.com represent sites contained on the National Priorities List (NPL) as of November 25, 2019.  The NPL is the list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States and its territories.  All site-related data was sourced from the EPA.

Air Quality: Grades for ozone, short-term particle pollution, and year-round particle pollution were obtained from State of the Air 2019, a report compiled by the American Lung Association.

Radon Zones: Radon zone designations were obtained using a public use dataset provided by the EPA (September 11, 2019).

Water Quality: Drinking water violation data was sourced from the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), a public use database provided by the EPA.  The dataset included violations submitted to the database as of the third quarter of 2019.

Paul

I’ve moved several times over the years, so I know just how stressful it can be to relocate. I want to help put your mind at ease. That’s why I research and write about all the things I think you should consider when moving to a new town.

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