Tap WaterIndex

← Massachusetts

Tap water quality report

Harvard, MA

EPA monitoring detected 19 contaminants across the 7 water suppliers serving Harvard. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — see the level at the main supplier for each below, with its EPA source and period.

7
water suppliers
1,966
people served
19
contaminants found
Massachusetts rankings Lead in Massachusetts PFAS in Massachusetts

What was found in Harvard's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitSuppliersSource
Fluoride
1290 µg/L 32%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Highest in the city: FOXGLOVE APARTMENTS · 40 people · 2018
2/7 SYR4
Nitrate
1245 µg/L 12%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: HARVARD WATER DEPARTMENT · 1,422 people · 2019
5/7 SYR4
Copper
179 µg/L 14%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
Main supplier: HARVARD WATER DEPARTMENT · 1,422 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 264 µg/L — HARVARD GREEN CONDOMINIUMS · 150 people · 2017
5/7 SYR4
Arsenic
4.8 µg/L 48%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
Main supplier: HARVARD WATER DEPARTMENT · 1,422 people · 2018
Highest in the city: 241.8 µg/L — FOXGLOVE APARTMENTS · 40 people · 2019
4/7 SYR4
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate
122.1 µg/L 2035%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 6 µg/L
Highest in the city: TRAIL RIDGE CONDOMINIUMS · 104 people · 2019
1/7 SYR4
Barium
57.2 µg/L 2.9%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
Main supplier: HARVARD WATER DEPARTMENT · 1,422 people · 2018
5/7 SYR4
TTHM
15.516 µg/L 19%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Highest in the city: AYER ROAD PROPERTIES LLC · 150 people · 2017
3/7 SYR4
Bromoform
11.476 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: AYER ROAD PROPERTIES LLC · 150 people · 2017
2/7 SYR4
Lead
7.6 µg/L 51%
of the EPA limit 15 µg/L
Main supplier: HARVARD WATER DEPARTMENT · 1,422 people · 2016
2/7 SYR4
Dibromochloromethane
3.583 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: AYER ROAD PROPERTIES LLC · 150 people · 2017
3/7 SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid
2.821 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: AYER ROAD PROPERTIES LLC · 150 people · 2017
2/7 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
2.821 µg/L 4.7%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Highest in the city: AYER ROAD PROPERTIES LLC · 150 people · 2017
2/7 SYR4
Chromium
1.955 µg/L 2%
of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
Main supplier: HARVARD WATER DEPARTMENT · 1,422 people · 2018
2/7 SYR4
Bromodichloromethane
1.432 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: TRAIL RIDGE CONDOMINIUMS · 104 people · 2017
2/7 SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid
1.16 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: FOXGLOVE APARTMENTS · 40 people · 2017
1/7 SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid
1.11 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: FOXGLOVE APARTMENTS · 40 people · 2017
1/7 SYR4
Chloroform
1.078 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Highest in the city: TRAIL RIDGE CONDOMINIUMS · 104 people · 2017
2/7 SYR4
Xylenes, Total
0.8000 µg/L 0%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Highest in the city: AYER ROAD PROPERTIES LLC · 150 people · 2019
1/7 SYR4
Lead
0.0043 mg/L 29%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: HARVARD WATER DEPARTMENT · 1,422 people · 2025
7/7 LCR
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 95th percentile of the system's samples — 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 Harvard

SupplierPopulation served
HARVARD WATER DEPARTMENT 1,422
AYER ROAD PROPERTIES LLC 150
HARVARD GREEN CONDOMINIUMS 150
TRAIL RIDGE CONDOMINIUMS 104
PINE HILL VILLAGE CONDOMINIUMS 60
FOXGLOVE APARTMENTS 40
CRAFTSMAN VILLAGE CONDOMINIUMS 40

Frequently asked questions about Harvard tap water

Is Harvard tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 19 contaminants in the water serving Harvard. 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 Harvard?

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

What contaminants are in Harvard's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Harvard include Fluoride, Nitrate, Copper, Arsenic, Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate. The full list, with the level at the main supplier 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.