Safe drinking water is coming to residents in Londonderry, New Hampshire. The news comes a decade after a PFAS, “forever chemicals,” contamination linked to Saint-Gobain’s former manufacturing facility was first identified in local water sources.

Saint-Gobain’s facility in Merrimack manufactured PFAS-coated fabrics and films before the company shuttered it in 2023 to restructure its composite solutions business in the United States. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics is part of the broader Saint-Gobain group but operates outside the architectural glass and glazing sector, focusing instead on industrial polymer materials, such as sealants, foams and tapes for construction applications.

According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), Saint-Gobain reported that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected in a tap water sample collected inside its facility in 2016. PFOA is a PFAS chemical used in manufacturing. PFAS is a long-lasting chemical that breaks down slowly over time and is linked to multiple health concerns, ranging from cancer to high cholesterol and reduced fertility.

Investigation Reveals Widespread Groundwater Contamination

NHDES officials state that the contaminated tap water originated from the public water system operated by the Merrimack Village District, which obtains groundwater from a network of water supply wells. NHDES initiated an investigation with Saint-Gobain’s environmental consultants to find the source of the PFAS contamination. Officials say that it was apparent early in the investigation that airborne transport of PFAS from the Saint-Gobain facility contributed to the contaminated groundwater in several nearby towns.

Officials proceeded to collect thousands of water samples from approximately 2,600 properties. Nearly 1,200 properties were found to have PFAS levels that exceeded state water quality standards, per NHDES.

In late March 2016, officials told residents that PFOA had been detected in private wells at levels ranging from 17 to 820 parts per trillion (ppt), and water in wells that supplied the Merrimack Village District ranged from 17 to 90 ppt PFOA, according to literature archived by the National Library of Medicine. The EPA’s current National Primary Drinking Water Regulations set limits of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS. The EPA states that anything above 4 ppt for PFOA or PFOS is considered unsafe under federal drinking water standards.

During the March 2016 meeting, officials announced that they would provide bottled water to private residences with a well where PFOA/PFOS was found at or above 100 ppt.

Long-Term Remediation Brings Safe Water to Residents

A class-action lawsuit by residents was filed in 2016 shortly after contamination was discovered. The State of New Hampshire later pursued its own legal action, resulting in a 2021 consent decree requiring Saint-Gobain to fund water treatment and remediation efforts.

Years following the initial investigation, hundreds of residents of Londonderry will now receive safe drinking water after Saint-Gobain agreed to pay $1.7 million toward a project that will extend a water main and allow residents with contaminated wells to use public drinking water. The total project cost comes to about $4.3 million.

“This agreement is another important step in our efforts to hold Saint-Gobain accountable and assist Londonderry residents affected by PFAS contamination,” says New Hampshire attorney general John Formella. “We remain steadfast in our efforts to protect access to clean water for all Granite Staters.”

Shaun Mulholland, Londonderry’s town manager, tells New Hampshire Public Radio that the estimated cost of addressing PFAS contamination in Londonderry could be more than $275 million.

“This is going to continue to take more taxpayer dollars as less and less money is coming from the state and federal government,” he says. “More and more pressure will be placed upon the town to address this issue.”

Saint-Gobain demolished the Merrimack building in the fall of 2024. The building’s structural steel was removed and recycled, and the demolition debris from portions of the building impacted by PFAS contamination was disposed of at an out-of-state hazardous waste landfill.