Safe to Drink podcast artwork

PODCAST · science

Safe to Drink

A New Hampshire town finds out their water has been contaminated by a chemical. Their most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn’t have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird because… this has all happened before.From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, Safe to Drink is a four-part series about the water contamination story that keeps repeating in town after town — and about the people who fought for answers through a maze of chemistry, regulations, and illnesses.

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    Bonus: Community Resilience

    Hear more on the research into how "forever chemicals" impact our health and how communities can actually come together to face environmental threats like PFAS in this excerpt from the conversation at NHPR's 2026 Climate Summit. The panel, moderated by Safe to Drink Senior Producer, Jason Moon: Safe to Drink Host Mara Hoplamazian Community organizer Victor Davila of Slingshot Vermont Environmental health researcher Dr. Julia Varshavsky of Northeastern University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    A Special Announcement

    How do communities come together to face environmental threats, like PFAS chemicals? Join us for NHPR's annual Climate Summit. Host Mara Hoplamazian has the scoop on what you can expect at the event. For tickets and more information, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    4: The neighborly thing to do

    When we’ve been exposed to something that could harm us, what are we supposed to do — as regulators, as doctors, as company executives, or as people just trying to live our lives? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    3: A gray world

    Former workers at Saint-Gobain’s New Hampshire plant share what they did — and didn’t — know about PFOA and its potential health effects. And how the chemical industry has worked to sow doubt to its own benefit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    2: A flash of genius

    We go back in time to Hoosick Falls, New York where a man looks for answers after his father dies of cancer following his retirement from the local Saint-Gobain plant. What he finds changes the course of this whole story: a remarkable kind of chemical once used to help make the Atom Bomb that manufacturers knew could be dangerous for decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    1: You don’t know about this?

    A New Hampshire town finds out its water has been contaminated by a “forever chemical.” The source appears to be the nearby Saint-Gobain plant. Officials say the potential health effects are unclear, but most people can still drink the water. One resident doesn’t buy it and goes down a research rabbit hole. She soon learns all this has happened before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    Trailer: Safe to Drink

    A New Hampshire town finds out their water has been contaminated by a chemical. Their most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn’t have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird because… this has all happened before. From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, “Safe to Drink” is a four-part series about the water contamination story that keeps repeating in town after town — and about the people who fought for answers through a maze of chemistry, regulations, and illnesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

A New Hampshire town finds out their water has been contaminated by a chemical. Their most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn’t have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird because… this has all happened before.From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, Safe to Drink is a four-part series about the water contamination story that keeps repeating in town after town — and about the people who fought for answers through a maze of chemistry, regulations, and illnesses.

HOSTED BY

NHPR

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Safe to Drink have?

Safe to Drink currently has 7 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Safe to Drink about?

A New Hampshire town finds out their water has been contaminated by a chemical. Their most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn’t have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird because… this has all happened before.From...

How often does Safe to Drink release new episodes?

Safe to Drink has 7 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Safe to Drink?

You can listen to Safe to Drink on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Safe to Drink?

Safe to Drink is created and hosted by NHPR.
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