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PFAS in Massachusetts drinking water

262 community water systems tested

41.2%
of tested systems detected PFOA or PFOS
(108/262)

PFAS — “forever chemicals” — are synthetic compounds that accumulate in the body and are linked to cancer, liver damage and immune effects. In 2024 the EPA set enforceable limits of 4 parts per trillion each for PFOA and PFOS. These are the only nationwide PFAS measurements, from the EPA’s UCMR-5 program.

Water systems

PFAS value per system, 2023–2025. EPA limit — 4 ppt (0.004 µg/L) for PFOA and PFOS, set in 2024. Systems that detected PFOA or PFOS are highlighted and listed first. “Not detected” means the contaminant was measured but not found.
SystemCityPopulationPFAS (ug/L)
RAYNHAM CENTER WATER DISTRICT RAYNHAM 10,964 0.0920 ug/L
DARTMOUTH WATER DIVISION DARTMOUTH 24,696 0.0506 ug/L
NATICK WATER AND SEWER DIVISION NATICK 37,006 0.0373 ug/L
DUXBURY WATER DEPARTMENT DUXBURY 16,387 0.0350 ug/L
NORWELL WATER DEPARTMENT NORWELL 11,495 0.0184 ug/L
EASTON WATER DIV EASTON 25,058 0.0163 ug/L
AQUARION WATER COMPANY, MILLBURY MILLBURY 11,368 0.0158 ug/L
SHARON WATER DEPT SHARON 16,846 0.0150 ug/L
ACTON WATER SUPPLY DISTRICT ACTON 21,285 0.0134 ug/L
RANDOLPH WATER DEPARTMENT RANDOLPH 35,114 0.0130 ug/L
ATTLEBORO WATER DEPT ATTLEBORO 46,461 0.0120 ug/L
ABINGTON/ROCKLAND JOINT WTR. WORKS ABINGTON 33,387 0.0120 ug/L
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA DPW MANCHESTER 5,201 0.0120 ug/L
HOLBROOK PUBLIC WORKS DEPT HOLBROOK 11,405 0.0119 ug/L
HANOVER WATER DEPT HANOVER 14,984 0.0114 ug/L
PEPPERELL DPW WATER DIVISION PEPPERELL 9,217 0.0114 ug/L
HAMILTON WATER DEPT HAMILTON 7,674 0.0112 ug/L
MIDDLEBOROUGH WATER SUPPLY MIDDLEBOROUGH 15,350 0.0110 ug/L
NORTH ATTLEBORO WATER DEPT NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH 31,410 0.0090 ug/L
BRIDGEWATER WATER DEPARTMENT BRIDGEWATER 28,633 0.0090 ug/L
SUDBURY WATER DISTRICT SUDBURY 18,416 0.0090 ug/L
WAYLAND WATER DEPARTMENT WAYLAND 14,096 0.0090 ug/L
TOPSFIELD WATER DEPARTMENT TOPSFIELD 5,435 0.0090 ug/L
CHELMSFORD WATER DISTRICT CHELMSFORD 28,750 0.0089 ug/L
NORTON WATER DEPARTMENT NORTON 19,161 0.0088 ug/L
WESTFORD WATER DEPARTMENT WESTFORD 18,848 0.0086 ug/L
BRAINTREE WATER AND SEWER DEPT. BRAINTREE 39,143 0.0085 ug/L
WOBURN WATER DEPT. WOBURN 40,876 0.0084 ug/L
ROWLEY WATER DEPARTMENT ROWLEY 6,161 0.0077 ug/L
WESTBOROUGH WATER DEPARTMENT WESTBOROUGH 21,567 0.0075 ug/L
STOUGHTON WATER DEPARTMENT STOUGHTON 29,281 0.0073 ug/L
IPSWICH DPU WATER DEPT IPSWICH 13,138 0.0073 ug/L
MILLIS WATER DEPT MILLIS 9,055 0.0073 ug/L
MEDWAY WATER DEPARTMENT MEDWAY 14,176 0.0072 ug/L
HOPKINTON WATER DEPARTMENT HOPKINTON 12,680 0.0072 ug/L
WENHAM WATER DEPT. WENHAM 3,942 0.0072 ug/L
MILFORD WATER DEPARTMENT MILFORD 30,379 0.0071 ug/L
MAYNARD DPW, WATER DIVISION MAYNARD 10,616 0.0071 ug/L
WARE WATER DEPT WARE 10,066 0.0071 ug/L
BARNSTABLE FIRE DISTRICT BARNSTABLE 5,400 0.0071 ug/L
ONSET FIRE DISTRICTWATER DEPT. WAREHAM 5,392 0.0071 ug/L
PEABODY WATER DEPT. PEABODY 54,481 0.0070 ug/L
MARSHFIELD WATER DEPARTMENT MARSHFIELD 34,000 0.0070 ug/L
MEDFIELD WATER DEPT. MEDFIELD 12,713 0.0070 ug/L
NORFOLK WATER DIVISION NORFOLK 7,602 0.0070 ug/L
WAKEFIELD WATER DEPT WAKEFIELD 27,090 0.0069 ug/L
GRAFTON WATER DISTRICT GRAFTON 10,925 0.0069 ug/L
MERRIMAC WATER DEPARTMENT MERRIMAC 6,988 0.0069 ug/L
SHIRLEY WATER DISTRICT SHIRLEY 4,165 0.0069 ug/L
HOPEDALE WATER DEPARTMENT HOPEDALE 6,017 0.0068 ug/L
FOXBORO WATER DEPARTMENT FOXBOROUGH 18,721 0.0067 ug/L
UXBRIDGE DPW, WATER DIVISION UXBRIDGE 11,612 0.0067 ug/L
COHASSET WATER DEPT COHASSET 7,555 0.0067 ug/L
WELLESLEY WATER DIVISION WELLESLEY 29,550 0.0066 ug/L
DEDHAM WESTWOOD WATER DIST. DEDHAM 41,630 0.0065 ug/L
HOLLISTON WATER DEPARTMENT HOLLISTON 15,139 0.0065 ug/L
TOWNSEND WATER DEPARTMENT TOWNSEND 6,832 0.0065 ug/L
WEIR RIVER WATER SYSTEM HINGHAM 45,339 0.0064 ug/L
LINCOLN WATER DEPT LINCOLN 5,593 0.0064 ug/L
KENWOOD WATER DISTRICT DRACUT 9,620 0.0063 ug/L
GROVELAND WATER DEPARTMENT GROVELAND 6,508 0.0063 ug/L
MANSFIELD WATER DIVISION MANSFIELD 21,797 0.0062 ug/L
DRACUT WATER SUPPLY DISTRICT DRACUT 25,808 0.0061 ug/L
LYNNFIELD CENTER WATER DISTRICT LYNNFIELD 8,525 0.0061 ug/L
CONCORD WATER DEPT CONCORD 18,788 0.0060 ug/L
SALISBURY WATER DIVISION SALISBURY 9,334 0.0060 ug/L
TOWN OF AVON AVON 4,777 0.0060 ug/L
BOYLSTON WATER DISTRICT BOYLSTON 3,343 0.0060 ug/L
NORTH ADAMS WATER DEPT NORTH ADAMS 13,000 0.0059 ug/L
PLAINVILLE WATER DEPARTMENT PLAINVILLE 8,805 0.0059 ug/L
SCITUATE WATER DIVISION SCITUATE 19,297 0.0057 ug/L
AUBURN WATER DISTRICT AUBURN 12,255 0.0057 ug/L
WRENTHAM WATER DIVISION WRENTHAM 12,190 0.0057 ug/L
BLACKSTONE WATER DEPARTMENT BLACKSTONE 9,463 0.0057 ug/L
HALIFAX WATER DEPARTMENT HALIFAX 7,575 0.0057 ug/L
SHREWSBURY WATER DEPARTMENT SHREWSBURY 38,325 0.0056 ug/L
FRANKLIN WATER DEPARTMENT FRANKLIN 33,706 0.0056 ug/L
HANSON WATER DEPARTMENT HANSON 9,612 0.0056 ug/L
HAYSTACK ESTATES WESTFORD 60 0.0056 ug/L
BILLERICA WATER WORKS BILLERICA 42,119 0.0055 ug/L
WEST BRIDGEWATER WATER DEPT WEST BRIDGEWATER 7,709 0.0055 ug/L
DIGHTON WATER DISTRICT DIGHTON 5,280 0.0055 ug/L
WEST BOYLSTON WATER DISTRICT WEST BOYLSTON 6,919 0.0054 ug/L
DANVERS WATER DEPT. DANVERS 28,087 0.0052 ug/L
STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT STERLING 6,715 0.0052 ug/L
TEMPLETON MUNIC. LIGHT AND WATER PLANT TEMPLETON 6,159 0.0052 ug/L
SWANSEA WATER DISTRICT SWANSEA 17,375 0.0051 ug/L
EAST BRIDGEWATER WATER DEPT EAST BRIDGEWATER 14,526 0.0051 ug/L
LUNENBURG WATER DISTRICT LUNENBURG 7,219 0.0051 ug/L
NEEDHAM WATER DEPT NEEDHAM 31,664 0.0050 ug/L
TEWKSBURY WATER DEPARTMENT TEWKSBURY 31,342 0.0050 ug/L
CANTON WATER DEPT CANTON 22,766 0.0050 ug/L
BELLINGHAM DPW WATER SEWER DIVISION BELLINGHAM 16,556 0.0050 ug/L
SEEKONK WATER DISTRICT SEEKONK 13,801 0.0050 ug/L
CENTERVILLE OSTERVILLE MARSTONS MILLS WD BARNSTABLE 50,000 0.0049 ug/L
FITCHBURG DPW DIVISION OF WATER SUPPLY FITCHBURG 41,946 0.0049 ug/L
HOLDEN WATER DIVISION, DPW HOLDEN 18,016 0.0049 ug/L
CAMBRIDGE WATER DEPARTMENT CAMBRIDGE 118,214 0.0048 ug/L
BOURNE WATER DISTRICT BOURNE 22,500 0.0048 ug/L
LYNN WATER AND SEWER COMM LYNN 101,253 0.0047 ug/L