City's water quality reports available online; Dover’s water supply remains safe

posted on: 7/18/2018

Dover's Ireland Well, located within the Pudding Hill Aquifer, remains offline after the detection this week of perfluorinated compounds -- PFOA, PFOS and PFHpA -- that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's most recent health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt). The well was voluntarily taken offline in June when levels of perfluorinated compounds increased to 48 ppt, still within established health advisory levels.

No water with values in excess of the EPA’s advisory level of 70 ppt was supplied to customers.

In 2015, the city voluntarily closed the Griffin Well, also located within the Pudding Hill Aquifer. That decision was based on low levels of three perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) detected at the site, adjacent to the former Madbury Metals on Route 155. As is the case with the Ireland Well, the decision to close the Griffin Well was made out of an abundance of caution, despite the PFC levels being well below current Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Also out of an abundance of caution, the city is limiting use of the new Dover Pudding Hill 1 (DPH1), which draws from the Pudding Hill Aquifer.

The city’s remaining seven wells are routinely tested and remain a safe source of drinking water. None of these wells have tested positive for the same PFC compounds.

City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. said the city is working with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the city's aquifer consulting experts and water utility engineers to consider treatment options for expeditiously and safely returning the wells drawing from the Pudding Hill Aquifer back into production.

"In the meantime, with our recent system upgrades to the Lowell Avenue Treatment Plant and our other wells operating elsewhere throughout the city, it is important to note that we are able to maintain an adequate and safe supply of public drinking water," Joyal said. "Even so, with moderate drought conditions continuing throughout the region, we still encourage residents and businesses to be conscientious with their water usage."

Each year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires community water systems to deliver a Consumer Confidence Report -- also known as an Annual Drinking Water Quality Report -- to their customers. These reports, which are mailed out to water customers by July 1, provide information about their drinking water quality including a summary of detected contaminants from the previous year, compliance, and educational information.

Water quality testing results and the annual water standards reports can be found on the city’s website here: http://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/community-services/water-quality/index.html.

For more information, contact Community Services at 516-6450.