Merrimack, NH Water Quality (ZIP 03054)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 03054 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 03054's water at an average of 42 ppt across 1 compound. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 03054? A reverse osmosis system (NSF/ANSI 58) removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. For smaller households, an NSF-53 certified pitcher (Clearly Filtered, ZeroWater) works. Standard Brita cartridges are not certified for PFAS.

ZIP 03054 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water system serving ZIP 03054 (Merrimack, NH). Monitoring found a peak of 42 ppt across 1 system, averaging 42 ppt over 1 detected compound.

Contamination Level: MODERATE – Moderate contamination – PFAS detected at meaningful levels; filtration recommended.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 03054

• PFOA: 42 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)

Lead in ZIP 03054 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 6 lead samples for the system serving 03054, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.002 mg/L (within the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; homes built before 1986 should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead filter.

EPA Violations Affecting ZIP 03054

The water system serving 03054 have 3 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Nitrite, Chromium. A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

Source: EPA UCMR5 monitoring (2023-2025), Lead and Copper Rule samples, and SDWIS violation records tied to the water system that serves 03054 in Merrimack, NH.

Beyond water: other exposures in Merrimack, NH

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 03054 and Hillsborough County, NH.

Radon risk in Hillsborough County, NH

The EPA places Hillsborough County, NH in Zone 2 - a moderate-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Zone maps predict the radon potential of an area from geology and existing indoor readings - they do not describe any individual home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and the only way to know your own level is a test kit.

Lead paint risk in Hillsborough County, NH

Census figures show 54% of homes in Hillsborough County, NH were built before 1980, and 22% before 1950. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so older housing stock is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This is a statistic about the county's housing, not a test of any particular property - if your home predates 1980, a lead swab test is the way to check.

Air quality in Hillsborough County, NH

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Hillsborough County, NH averages 5.5 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual PM2.5 standard of 9 µg/m³. PM2.5 is the pollution fraction small enough to reach deep into the lungs. These are CDC modelled estimates for the county as a whole, not a reading taken at this ZIP code.

Superfund sites near 03054

There is 1 EPA Superfund (National Priorities List) site within about five miles of 03054: New Hampshire Plating Co. (about 1.6 miles). Distances are measured from the ZIP code's geographic centre, so the distance from a specific address will differ. Proximity to a listed site is a fact about location - it is not itself evidence of exposure.

Industrial releases near 03054

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 3 reporting facilities within about five miles of 03054, together reporting roughly 18,323 pounds of on-site chemical releases that year. TRI covers facilities above federal reporting thresholds, so smaller sources are not included, and a reported release is not the same as a measured concentration in air or water.