Some general notes on querying data for Public Water Systems follows:

Ø When searching for system specific information, it is recommended that only the seven digit “ EPA Id” be entered. If you are unsure of the EPA Id, query on the System Name or the Town in which the system is located. Do not use the EPA Id with other query parameters.

Ø Town, Status, System Type and Category columns have drop down menus allowing you to select specific system information.

Ø The wild card character “%” will allow you to query for word(s) within the System Name column. For example, %WATER% will retrieve all systems with the word “WATER.”

Ø Any combination of columns may be used to formulate your query. However, the use of too many columns may hinder your search. By choosing the wrong category for system size or type, or by entering the incorrect name (and not using the wild card character “%”) the result of the query will be “No rows returned.”

Ø “No rows returned” means that there were no matches found to the parameters you requested.

Ø The query parameters are defined as follows:

Town refers to the political boundary, not the place name. If in doubt, use the drop down menu.

Status refers to the activity of a PWS. The query parameter defaults to active.

System Type is based on the federal definitions of the three system types: Community, Non-Transient Non-Community and Non-Community Transient.

Category is a column used by the state to identify the primary use for the water system. Examples of frequently sought categories include:

Ø Community systems that serve municipalities: MAJOR CWS (>1500 POPULATION or SURFACE WATER), LARGE CWS (>1000 POPULATION), and SMALL CWS (<1000 POPULATION).

Ø Other types of community systems: MOBILE HOME PARKS and SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES.

Ø Non-Transient Non-Community systems: DAYCARES and SCHOOLS.

Ø Non-Community Transient systems: SERVICE STATIONS (Gas stations) and RESTAURANTS.

System Name is the name of the PWS, and not necessarily the name of the company owning the water system nor the businesses located within the PWS.

EPA Id (or PWS Id) is the seven-digit number used by the state and federal government to track PWSs.

Population Served enables you select PWSs of certain sizes and between various ranges.

Master Id is a state assigned number linking various NH state environmental programs to a specific location. All One Stop sites are assigned a Master Id. This is not the same number as the EPA ID.