Is Bourne, MA Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Bourne's water

The highest level seen across the city's suppliers, the EPA limit for each, and where the figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Nitrate	3710 µg/L 37% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	3/5	SYR4
Copper	2740 µg/L 211% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 1300 µg/L	3/5	SYR4
Fluoride	110 µg/L 2.8% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Barium	34 µg/L 1.7% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L	2/5	SYR4
TTHM	22 µg/L 28% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Lead	12 µg/L 80% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	8.6 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
Chromium	7 µg/L 7% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Bromoform	6.9 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	4.4 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene	3.56 µg/L 5.1% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Tetrachloroethylene	3.02 µg/L 60% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L	2/5	SYR4
Antimony, Total	2.1 µg/L 35% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Chloroform	1.9 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	1.8 µg/L 3% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid	1.3 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
Thallium, Total	1.2 µg/L 60% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid	0.9000 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
Xylenes, Total	0.8400 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Monobromoacetic Acid	0.6200 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	0.5500 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	0.5500 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	SYR4
Hexachlorobenzene	0.0930 µg/L 9.3% of the EPA limit 1 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
PFHXS	0.0076 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0050 mg/L 33% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	5/5	LCR
PFOS	0.0048 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	UCMR-5
Pfhxa	0.0045 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	UCMR-5
Pfpea	0.0037 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/5	UCMR-5

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the single worst sample on record — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Bourne

Supplier	Population served
BOURNE WATER DISTRICT	22,500
BUZZARDS BAY WATER DISTRICT	7,700
NORTH SAGAMORE WATER DISTRICT	4,668
BARNSTABLE COUNTY JAIL	600
SCHOONER PASS TRUSTEES CONDOMINIUMS	136

Frequently asked questions about Bourne tap water

Is Bourne tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 28 contaminants in the water serving Bourne. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Bourne?

5 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Bourne, Massachusetts to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Bourne's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Bourne include Nitrate, Copper, Fluoride, Barium, TTHM. The full list, with the highest level found and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.