Safe to Drink

About 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.

Publisher

NHPR

Category

science · society & culture · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Dec 2025

Latest episode

4 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 8 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   4 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Introducing: A Private Matter

   Host Jason Moon investigates a Christmas tree farmer's disappearance and his wife's silence, uncovering a tragedy fueled by family estrangement and dementia.

2. 

   4 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Bonus: Community Resilience

   Safe to Drink Host Mara Hoplamazian interviews environmental health researcher Dr. Julia Varshavsky and community organizer Victor Davila about PFAS impacts and community resilience.

3. 

   31 Mar 2026

   A Special Announcement

   Host Mara Hoplamazian previews NHPR's annual Climate Summit, exploring how communities unite against environmental threats like PFAS chemicals.

4. 

   29 Jan 2026

   Episode 4: The neighborly thing to do

   Host [Host Name] and guest [Guest Name], a [Guest Credential], discuss the ethical responsibilities of individuals and institutions when facing potential harm, offering insights into navigating complex situations.

5. 

   29 Jan 2026

   Episode 3: A gray world

   Former Saint-Gobain workers, interviewed by host [Host Name], reveal their limited knowledge of PFOA and the chemical industry's tactics to obscure its health risks.

6. 

   29 Jan 2026

   Episode 2: A flash of genius

   Investigative journalist Greg Palast uncovers a chemical's dangerous legacy in Hoosick Falls, revealing corporate negligence and its devastating impact on a community.

7. 

   29 Jan 2026

   Episode 1: You don’t know about this?

   Host [Host Name] interviews resident [Resident Name] about her investigation into forever chemical contamination in her town's water supply.

8. 

   13 Dec 2025

   Coming soon: Safe to Drink

   Host [Host Name] interviews [Guest Name], an expert, about the recurring water contamination crisis and the fight for answers.

Inside a recent episode

Introducing: A Private Matter

Published 4 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I mean, I think that was probably the first thing that I saw was that when you were around him, he was very... hesitant to say things to people, like he wasn't quite sure if he was following what was being discussed or that what he was going to say was going to be appropriate. So I think he just kind of shut down. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

248 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

51 ratings

Contact Safe to Drink

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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