A recent survey of private wells in the Granite State found eighty thousand residents may be at risk of exposure to several toxins, including arsenic. Public water supplies, meanwhile, can be vulnerable to other forms of contamination and affected by severe weather from floods to droughts. We’ll look at these challenges, and possible solutions.
GUESTS:
- Joe Ayotte – hydrologist at USGS, the US Geological Survey
- Sam Evans-Brown – NHPR’s environment reporter. You can find his recent reporting on arsenic and well water here.
- Sarah Pillsbury – runs the public drinking water program at New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
LINKS:
- State urges N.H. well users to test their water: "In light of a study released by the U.S. Geological Survey earlier today, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) once again urges everyone with a private well to test their water. The USGS study found that 80,000 residents in Hillsborough, Rockingham, and Strafford counties alone may have unhealthy levels of one or more toxic metals in their drinking water."
- NHDES's guide to private water testing
- USGS fact sheet based on recent report, including maps of affected area
Dartmouth video about the risks of arsenic exposure:
