New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Announces the PFAS Removal Rebate Program for Private Wells

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) announced today that the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Removal Rebate Program for Private Wells is now accepting applications. The program provides rebates to private well users for up to $5,000 for the installation of PFAS treatment or up to $10,000 for a service connection to a public water system.

Eligible private well users would be able to document an exceedance of a regulated PFAS compound(s) with no offer of alternate water from a third party. An exceedance would be a result above New Hampshire’s Ambient Groundwater Quality Standards (AGQS) for four PFAS compounds, which are: 12 parts-per-trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); 15 ppt for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS); 18 ppt for perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS); and 11 ppt for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA).

“New Hampshire leads the country in identifying PFAS contamination and acting on those findings,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “These rebates will go a long way to help hundreds of homeowners affected by PFAS contamination to connect to clean drinking water sources or install treatment systems for their homes.”

NHDES has collected more than 7,200 PFAS samples from approximately 6,200 wells across the state and has identified several thousands of locations that exceed one or more of the AGQS. While there are provisions in state rules for parties that are responsible for contamination of groundwater to remedy water supply wells that violate AGQS, not all PFAS contamination found in the state has been attributed, either technically or legally, to a responsible party. In instances where there is no identified responsible party for a contaminated water supply well, the burden of providing safe drinking water resides with the well owner. Third parties have addressed over 1,000 wells that exceed AGQS for PFAS by providing alternate water, either temporarily or permanently, in accordance with state rules.

If NHDES sampled your well, an email or letter will be sent out to you indicating that the program is accepting applications. If you sampled your well yourself or hired someone else to sample your well, please email pfasrebateprogram@des.nh.gov. Eligible applicants can be reimbursed for the installation of treatment or a service connection back to September 30, 2019.

“This innovative PFAS Removal Rebate program provides helpful funding for homeowners burdened with the costs of treating wells contaminated with PFAS above New Hampshire’s drinking water standards,” said Bob Scott, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

Funding for the program is provided by the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund and surplus funding from the State General Fund authorized under HB 1547. For more information on the program, including eligibility requirements and a link to the application, visit the PFAS Removal Rebate Program for Private Wells webpage.

NHDES will host a webinar for affected private well users Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. to introduce and discuss the specifics of the rebate program and to answer questions.

To register to attend the webinar, click on the following registration link.

For additional information on this program, please contact the PFAS Rebate Team at pfasrebateprogram@des.nh.gov or Amy Rousseau at (603) 271-8801.