China's Richest Man Buying Water Supply of New Hampshire Town Sparks Alarm

China's largest beverage company, Nongfu Spring, has bought a site in Nashua, New Hampshire, next to the Pennichuck water system.

The firm, owned by China's richest man, Zhong Shanshan, will have access to the local water for its plant, NewsNation reported last month.

This has caused alarm among locals and politicians, who say most people in Nashua are unaware of the sale.

Newsweek has contacted Nongfu Spring via email for comment.

Why It Matters

The news comes at a time of growing concern and pushback in the United States over purchases of land and infrastructure by buyers from China, America's main strategic rival.

The property sits near infrastructure critical to Nashua's drinking water system. While Nongfu Spring has not yet outlined plans for extraction or bottling, its ownership and the company's global strategy—focused heavily on exporting bottled water—have drawn scrutiny.

"Being tied into our Pennichuck water system and taking millions of gallons a day of drinking water from the citizens of Nashua is very concerning," local resident Bob Lozeau told NewsNation.

What To Know

Stag Industrial Holdings LLC, a real estate investment trust, sold the land to NF North America, a subsidiary of Nongfu Spring, on January 31, according to the Hillsborough County Register of Deeds, reviewed by New Hampshire newspaper The Keene Sentinel.

The property, a 337,391-square-foot single-story building on 23 acres at 80 Northwest Blvd., which has not been used for 11 years, was bought at four times more than its assessed value - $67 million, despite it being valued at $15 million by the city of Nashua.

It is near Nashua Airport, some defense centers and a Federal Aviation Administration control center.

Water for the site will be provided by Pennichuck Water Works, according to the city of Nashua.

"It falls within our existing withdrawal permits," Pennichuck CEO John Boisvert said.

Boisvert went on to explain that the water system has "a lot of excess capacity."

"We're permitted for over 30 million gallons a day," he told The Keene Sentinel. "If you look at average day demands, we're somewhere around 11 or 12 million gallons. In the summertime, we can go up to 20. We've got a lot of excess capacity in that withdrawal."

But there are still people who are concerned about the sale, including Republican State Senator Kevin Avard, who told Newsweek: "I find it disconcerting that the Mayor and other city officials have allowed this project to move so quickly without addressing these very real concerns. They need to come forward and address the questions and concerns from the public on this deal, everything from the sale price and real value of this property as well as their intentions with our water supply. This needs to be a public conversation."

There are no federal or New Hampshire state laws that block a Chinese company from owning property there, but Republican Senator Regina Birdsell (Hampstead) has called for certain foreign nationals, including China, to be banned from owning land in New Hampshire, reports the New Hampshire Journal.

Zhong Shanshan, founder of Nongfu Spring, promotes his products at a presser in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. The producer of drinking water and soft drinks went on a public... AP

What People Are Saying

Stag Industrial Holdings LLC said in a press release in February: "STAG Industrial, Inc. completed the sale of a building in Nashua, N.H. for gross proceeds of $67.0 million. Representing a cash cap rate of 4.9 percent, the sale to an undisclosed buyer ended an 11-year hold on the property."

Lily Tang Williams, who is running for Congress in New Hampshire, after fleeing China, said: "I have been trying to warn people. Xi Jinping has a China dream, and his China dream is to use a soft power invasion. Business. Education. Apps like TikTok and WeChat. Media. Entertainment. Everything they can, without firing one shot, to expand into western countries like the United States."

What Happens Next

City leaders in Nashua stated that the commercial property will be subject to standard regulatory procedures and environmental oversight.

Any application or plan by Nongfu Spring to extract water or use the property in a manner affecting local resources is expected to undergo public review and permitting processes.

Discussions about tightening restrictions on foreign land acquisitions near critical infrastructure continue at the state and federal levels.

Update 7/16/25, 11:26 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from State Senator Kevin Avard.

Update 7/18/25, 9:53 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional context