Public water system · NH2001010
ActiveRochester Water Dept
At a glance
Rochester Water Dept (PWSID NH2001010) is an active community water system in Strafford County, New Hampshire. It reports serving 25,000 people through 7,500 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
25,000
Service connections
7,500
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Rochester Water Dept compare with other water systems in Strafford County?
By EPA's size categories, Rochester Water Dept is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Strafford County has 131 active public water systems, and Rochester Water Dept is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 30 times the county average of 825 people per system, and accounts for 23% of the 108,010 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across New Hampshire, the 2,450 active systems average 508 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Rochester Water Dept is about 3.7 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. New Hampshire has 706 active community water systems, 29% of the state's 2,450 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 39 New Hampshire systems (1.6%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Rochester Water Dept?
EPA lists Rochester Water Dept as owned by a local government. The NH state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 20 of the 131 active systems in Strafford County (15%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Rochester Water Dept have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2022. The violations listed here began between September 1997 and January 2022. By type: 8 contaminant level above the legal limit, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 1 monitoring and reporting and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (5 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved, 2 as unaddressed and 1 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2017-03-27 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2016-12-08 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2016-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2016-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 2012-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1997-09-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Rochester Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs Rochester Water Dept?
Rochester Water Dept (PWSID NH2001010) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NH state drinking water program.
How many people does Rochester Water Dept serve?
Rochester Water Dept reports serving 25,000 people through 7,500 service connections in Strafford County, New Hampshire.
Where does Rochester Water Dept get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Rochester Water Dept have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2022. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Rochester Water Dept's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2022. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NH state drinking water program.
Where can I find Rochester Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, Rochester Water Dept must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Strafford County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover Water Dept | Strafford | 29,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Unh/Durham Water Sys | Strafford | 16,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Somersworth Water Works | Strafford | 12,200 | Community | Surface water |
| Farmington Water Dept | Strafford | 3,250 | Community | Groundwater |
| Rollinsford Water Sewer Dist | Strafford | 1,688 | Community | Groundwater |
| Grand View Camping/Wooded Site | Strafford | 800 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Rochester Water Dept, PWSID NH2001010, New Hampshire”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-hampshire/rochester-water-dept-nh2001010 (data as of October 1, 2026).