Public Notice for Elevated Levels of Lead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: July 10, 2025

CONTACT: Tara Sousa, Town Administrator, (603)878-2084

Public Notice for Elevated Levels of Lead Detected in

Greenville NH Water Department

Greenville, NH Water Department is issuing a public notice for elevated levels of lead in drinking water. We are working with NHDES to correct the situation.

Public Water System Name: Greenville Water Department

Public Water System ID: 0991010

Town: Greenville, NH

Dates Sampled: June 19-29, 2026

Lead 90^th Percentile: .101 mg/L (101 parts per billion), 10% or more of the lead sample results are above the action level of 0.015 mg/L (15 parts per billion) allowed in drinking water

Expected Resolution Date: December 2026. The Town is currently piloting additives for corrosion control.

Water System Contact Information: Greenville Water Department

Contact Name: Tara Sousa, Town Administrator

Address: 46 Main Street, Greenville, NH, 03048

Phone Number: (603)878-2084

Please share this information with all persons who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly, for example (people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). The best method is by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

Lead enters drinking water because of the corrosion, or wearing away, of materials containing lead in the water distribution piping and household plumbing. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe through 1989, leaded brass and chrome-plated brass faucets available until January 4, 2014, and in some cases, lead gooseneck connectors and service lines used through the 1950s to connect your house to the water main.

Health Effects of Lead Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.

What is an Action Level? The lead action level is a measure of the effectiveness of corrosion control treatment in water systems. The action level is not a standard for establishing a safe level of lead in a home. To check if corrosion control is working, EPA requires water systems to test for lead at the tap in certain homes, including those with lead service lines or lead solder as those homes are more likely to have elevated lead levels. Systems compare sample results from homes to EPA’s action level of 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb). If 10 percent of the samples from these homes have water concentrations that are greater than the action level, then the system must perform actions such as public education, adjusting treatment, and lead service line replacement.

What should I do?

1. Use cold water. Do not use hot water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula as lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Boiling water does not remove lead from water.
2. Flush your tap every morning or after extended periods of non-use for at least 1 minute or until the water runs cold. The longer the water resides in your home’s plumbing, the more lead it may contain. Flushing the tap ensures that you use fresh water that has not been in contact with lead in your plumbing.
3. Learn what your service line material is. Follow scratch test guidance by scanning or clicking on the green QR code or contact us at (603)878-2084 or administrator@greenvillenh.org.
4. Learn about construction in your neighborhood. Contact us at (603)878-2084 to find out about any construction or maintenance work that could disturb your service line. Construction may cause more lead to be released from a lead service line if present.
5. Have your water tested. Contact any NH certified lab  to have your water tested. General cost is $15 to $25 depending on the lab you choose.
6. If you are pregnant or have specific health concerns, you may wish to consult your health care professional. General health-related questions may be directed to the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. General guidelines on ways to reduce the risk from lead in drinking water are available from EPA’s website, www.epa.gov.

For more additional information, please contact Tara Sousa at (603)878-2084 or administrator@greenvillenh.org.