Safe to Drink 1: You don’t know about this?
Jan 29, 2026
Ben Pierce, a Merrimack resident whose household found tap water contaminated with PFOA. He recounts finding bottled-water deliveries and how daily life shifted after the discovery. Conversations cover the town alert, confusing safety guidance, the suspected Saint-Gobain source, private well testing, and rising local activism and fear.
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Unexpected Pallet Of Emergency Water
- Ben Pierce found a pallet of roughly 2,700 gallons of bottled water sitting in his driveway with no explanation.
- He later learned his home's tap water had been declared unsafe to drink, changing his family's daily life.
Science Left Many Health Questions Open
- Officials admitted PFOA was an 'emerging contaminant' and long-term health effects were unclear.
- They listed many possible health concerns but said studies conflicted and definitive answers were lacking.
Regulatory Vacuum Forced Local Action
- Regulators had no settled safe drinking-water standard for PFOA in 2016, forcing interim local decisions.
- New Hampshire used its own cautious limit and provided bottled water to households above it.