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Tap water quality report

Harvard Water Department

EPA monitoring tested this supplier for 62 contaminants and detected 7. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — the level and EPA source for each is below.

62
contaminants tested
7
detected
1,422
people served
4
health-based violations
Massachusetts rankingsLead in MassachusettsPFAS in Massachusetts
Water source
Ground water
Ownership
Local government
Counties served
Worcester

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

4
health-based violations
236
violations on file
0
still open
ViolationTypeStatusPeriod
MCL Health-based Resolved 2016-01-01 → 2016-01-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2016-01-01 → 2016-01-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2009-09-01 → 2009-09-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2009-09-01 → 2009-09-30
MR Monitoring Resolved 2016-12-30
MR Monitoring Resolved 2016-12-30
Other Monitoring Resolved 2013-07-01
Other Monitoring Resolved 2013-07-01
MR Monitoring Resolved 2013-02-01 → 2013-02-28
MR Monitoring Resolved 2013-02-01 → 2013-02-28

Other contaminants detected

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 this system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.
ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitDetection rateSourcePeriod
Nitrate
1245 µg/L 12%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
worst single sample: 1300 µg/L
32/32 SYR4 2012–2019
Lead
0.0043 mg/L 29%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
 21/21 LCR 2025
Copper
179 µg/L 14%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
worst single sample: 270 µg/L
14/22 SYR4 2012–2019
Lead
7.6 µg/L 51%
of the EPA limit 15 µg/L
worst single sample: 10 µg/L
7/10 SYR4 2016
Barium
57.2 µg/L 2.9%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
worst single sample: 61 µg/L
5/5 SYR4 2012–2018
Arsenic
4.8 µg/L 48%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
worst single sample: 5 µg/L
2/5 SYR4 2012–2018
Chromium
1.955 µg/L 2%
of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
worst single sample: 2 µg/L
2/5 SYR4 2012–2018
55 contaminants tested, none detected
1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane2,4,5-TP2,4-DAntimony, TotalAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCyanideCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebEthylene DibromideEndrinEthylbenzeneFluorideHexachlorobenzeneHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorNitriteOxamylPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneToxapheneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact
DAVID SMITH
Phone
9784564130
Email
DSMITH@HARVARD-MA.GOV

Frequently asked questions about Harvard Water Department

Is Harvard Water Department tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 7 contaminants in Harvard Water Department's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in Harvard Water Department's water?

EPA monitoring detected Nitrate, Lead, Copper, Lead, Barium, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Harvard Water Department serve?

Harvard Water Department reports serving 1,422 people in Massachusetts, per its EPA record.

Has Harvard Water Department had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 236 violations on file for Harvard Water Department, of which 4 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

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.