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Tap water quality report

Cambridge, MD

EPA monitoring detected 15 contaminants across the 3 water suppliers serving Cambridge. 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.

3
water suppliers
15,690
people served
15
contaminants found
Maryland rankings Lead in Maryland PFAS in Maryland

What was found in Cambridge'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
1124.5 µg/L 28%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2018
Highest in the city: 1157.7 µg/L — BONNIE BROOK · 390 people · 2019
2/3 SYR4
TTHM
22.94 µg/L 29%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 23.874 µg/L — LODGECLIFFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM · 300 people · 2017
3/3 SYR4
Lithium
16.1 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2025
1/3 UCMR-5
Chloroform
7.535 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2015
Highest in the city: 13.313 µg/L — LODGECLIFFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM · 300 people · 2014
3/3 SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U
8.6 pCi/L 57%
of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2018
1/3 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
6.44 µg/L 11%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 6.927 µg/L — BONNIE BROOK · 390 people · 2018
3/3 SYR4
Bromodichloromethane
3.79 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2015
Highest in the city: 6.919 µg/L — LODGECLIFFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM · 300 people · 2014
3/3 SYR4
Gross Beta Particle Activity
6.86 pCi/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2018
2/3 SYR4
Antimony, Total
4.6 µg/L 77%
of the EPA limit 6 µg/L
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2018
1/3 SYR4
Arsenic
2.71 µg/L 27%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2018
Highest in the city: 4.1 µg/L — BONNIE BROOK · 390 people · 2019
2/3 SYR4
Dibromochloromethane
2.895 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2015
Highest in the city: 3.9655 µg/L — LODGECLIFFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM · 300 people · 2014
3/3 SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid
2.2795 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2015
Highest in the city: 3.16 µg/L — BONNIE BROOK · 390 people · 2015
3/3 SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid
2.276 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2015
Highest in the city: 2.3755 µg/L — BONNIE BROOK · 390 people · 2015
3/3 SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid
1.076 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2015
Highest in the city: 1.22 µg/L — BONNIE BROOK · 390 people · 2015
2/3 SYR4
Lead
0.0041 mg/L 27%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER · 15,000 people · 2023
2/3 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 Cambridge

SupplierPopulation served
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WATER 15,000
BONNIE BROOK 390
LODGECLIFFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 300

Frequently asked questions about Cambridge tap water

Is Cambridge tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 15 contaminants in the water serving Cambridge. 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 Cambridge?

3 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Cambridge, Maryland to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Cambridge's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Cambridge include Fluoride, TTHM, Lithium, Chloroform, Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U. 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.