In a quiet industrial park in Nashua, New Hampshire, a 23-acre warehouse has become the center of a national controversy. The buyer? Nongfu Spring, China’s largest bottled water company—owned by Zhong Shanshan, the country’s richest man. The plan? To draw up to 2 million gallons of water per day from a local watershed. The concern? This comes as U.S. officials warn that Chinese hackers have infiltrated over 200 American water utilities, including systems near military bases.What started as a routine real estate deal has escalated into a flashpoint over foreign ownership, critical infrastructure, and the long arm of Chinese influence in America.
Nongfu Spring, China’s largest beverage company owned by its richest man bought a huge building on 23 acres in Nashua, NH, plans to purchase 2M gallons of water from a local watershed. This is one of the 200 water utility plants that China hacked into. pic.twitter.com/teYL6C2t6i
— Lily Tang Williams (@Lily4Liberty) November 5, 2025
The Deal: $67 Million for an “Empty” Warehouse
On January 31, 2025, a subsidiary of Nongfu Spring—NF North America—purchased a 337,391-square-foot warehouse at 80 Northwest Boulevard in Nashua’s Westwood Park for $67 million—more than four times the city’s assessed value of $15.6 million.
| Key Details | |
|---|---|
| Seller | STAG Industrial Holdings LLC |
| Size | 23 acres, single-story building |
| Location | Adjacent to Pennichuck Pond watershed |
| Water Source | Pennichuck Water Works (serves 40,000+ customers) |
| Planned Usage | Up to 2 million gallons/day (pending approval) |
The property sits near Nashua Airport, an FAA control center, BAE Systems (a major defense contractor), and just 14 miles from the New Boston Space Force Station.
Who Is Nongfu Spring—and Its Billionaire Founder?
Nongfu Spring dominates China’s $30 billion bottled water market with its “natural spring” branding. Founded in 1996, it went public in 2020, raising $1 billion and briefly making its founder Zhong Shanshan the richest person in Asia.
- Net Worth (2025): $65.7 billion (Forbes)
- Other Holdings: Beijing Wantai (COVID-19 test kits)
- Reputation: Reclusive, no social media, once sold mushrooms and turtles to survive
Zhong has visited New Hampshire at least twice, and state officials actively courted his company—despite growing U.S. scrutiny of Chinese investments.
How New Hampshire Rolled Out the Red Carpet
Internal emails obtained through public records reveal the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) aggressively pursued Nongfu:
- September 2024: A senior BEA official emailed Zhong Shanshan directly about the Nashua site.
- November 2024: Nongfu engineers toured the property.
- Meetings: BEA facilitated talks with Zhong and a Boston Consulting Group adviser.
- Pitch: State officials even suggested producing a promotional “movie” about Nongfu’s “first U.S. plant.”
At least six Nashua officials knew about the deal before the sale—contradicting Mayor Jim Donchess’s claim that the city was only contacted afterward.A September 2025 state Attorney General review found no illegal activity but criticized BEA for failing to alert security officials earlier, calling it a “missed red flag.”
The Water Plan—and Why It’s Alarming
Nongfu plans to purchase water from Pennichuck Water Works, a publicly owned utility that Nashua fought for over a decade to keep out of corporate hands (a $200 million battle finalized in 2012).
- No direct extraction from Pennichuck Pond—just a commercial hookup.
- Same access as local businesses like Anheuser-Busch’s nearby brewery.
- But scale matters: 2 million gallons/day is industrial-level usage.
Pennichuck CEO John Boisvert insists it’s “business as usual” and that any contract will go through public hearings and environmental reviews.
The Hacking Connection: “One of 200”The timing couldn’t be worse.In a 2025 60 Minutes investigation, a Massachusetts water utility manager revealed the FBI warned him in 2023 that Chinese hackers—part of the Volt Typhoon group—had gained remote access to his system. He was told he was “one of over 200” U.S. water plants targeted.
Volt Typhoon, linked to China’s People’s Liberation Army, has infiltrated:
- Water systems near U.S. military bases (e.g., Hawaii)
- Power grids in Texas
- Ports and pipelines on the West Coast
Goal: Not theft—pre-positioning for sabotage in a future conflict, such as over Taiwan.While no public evidence confirms Pennichuck was hacked, critics argue:
Physical proximity + cyber access = compounded risk
Local and National BacklashThe deal has ignited fierce opposition:
- Lily Tang Williams (R congressional candidate, Cultural Revolution survivor): “This is one of the 200 water plants China hacked into. We cannot allow the CCP to control our water.”
— Testimony at Pennichuck board meeting, August 2025 - Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R): “The Communist Party of China has no home in New Hampshire.”
- Legislative Action:
- Bills to ban Chinese land purchases near military sites (one failed in 2024, revived in 2025)
- Calls for federal CFIUS review
Residents fear a repeat of foreign farmland grabs—Chinese entities now own over 277,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land.
What’s Next?
- Water contract: Requires public hearings and environmental permits
- Federal scrutiny: Possible CFIUS intervention if national security risks are confirmed
- State reforms: BEA under fire for prioritizing economic development over security
The Bigger PictureThis isn’t just about water. It’s about:
- Economic temptation vs. strategic vulnerability
- Local control vs. global capital
- America’s blind spots in protecting critical infrastructure
As one Nashua resident told 60 Minutes:
“We fought to keep our water public. Now we’re selling it to a Chinese billionaire?”
For now, the warehouse sits empty. But the debate over who controls America’s water—and who can access it—is just beginning.