Saint-Gobain to pay $1.71 million for clean water in Londonderry after ‘forever chemicals’ contamination

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, which has been linked to the contamination of water supplies in southern New Hampshire with “forever chemicals,” has agreed to provide clean drinking water to some of the affected residents in Londonderry.

Attorney General John Formella said Tuesday that his office, along with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the Town of Londonderry, reached a $1.71 million agreement with the company to extend a water main along High Range Road. 

The project will run from Royal Lane north to Alexander Road.

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

The new water line is expected to connect around 350 properties on the west side of High Range Road to a public system operated by Pennichuck Water Works. It will also allow additional connections to community water systems for homes on the east side of the road if necessary.

There have been longstanding concerns surrounding Saint-Gobain’s former manufacturing facility in Merrimack, which has since been demolished.

The site, where coated fabrics were produced, drew environmental scrutiny after per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, were discovered in nearby drinking water wells in 2016.

Contamination has since been identified in hundreds of wells across several communities, including Bedford, Hudson, Litchfield, Londonderry and Merrimack.

Although Saint-Gobain, a multi-national company, has not admitted wrongdoing, the company agreed under a court-approved consent decree in 2018 to provide clean drinking water solutions to approximately 1,000 affected properties in the five communities.

The current project is part of fulfilling those ongoing obligations.

Londonderry will pay its portion of the $4.3 million construction costs using money from the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund, which the state’s environmental agency oversees.

Residents whose private wells exceed state or federal PFAS limits and who don’t qualify for a safe drinking water option from Saint-Gobain can apply for financial help. Through the PFAS Removal Rebate Program for Private Wells, homeowners can get up to $5,000 to install a treatment system that removes PFAS, or up to $10,000 to connect to a public water supply.

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