Is Boston, MA tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in the data EPA has for Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), but it has no EPA PFAS results.
2 public water systems serve parts of Boston. The largest, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), serves 2.6 million people. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)
2.6 million people · Surface water · EPA ID MA6000000
No results in EPA's 2023–2025 PFAS testing (not the same as "not detected").
ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.
Lead: 5.9 ppb at the 90th percentile (Dec 2025, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0
Across Massachusetts, 75 of 261 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 8 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Massachusetts results.
Boston homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Boston city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Which system serves your ZIP code
Based on the ZIP codes each system reported serving. Boundaries don't follow ZIP lines exactly, so your water bill is the final word.
| System | ZIP codes in Boston |
|---|---|
| Boston Water and Sewer Commission (MWRA) 675,647 people | 02108, 02109, 02110, 02111, 02113, 02114, 02115, 02116, 02118, 02119, 02120, 02121, 02122, 02124, 02125, 02126, 02127, 02129, 02130, 02131, 02132, 02133, 02134, 02135, 02136, 02163, 02199, 02203, 02205, 02210, 02215 |
| Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) 2.6 million people | 02128 |
Other water systems serving Boston
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea 4 mi Chelsea Water Dept. (MWRA) | None above limits | 2.41 ppb |
| Everett 5 mi Everett Water Dept. (MWRA) | None above limits | 5.67 ppb |
| Quincy 5 mi Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) | None above limits | 21 ppb |
| Somerville 6 mi Somerville Water Dept. (MWRA) | None above limits | 3.92 ppb |
| Cambridge 6 mi Cambridge Water Department | None above limits | 8 ppb |
| Revere 6 mi Revere Water Division (MWRA) | None above limits | 8.05 ppb |
Questions
Is Boston tap water safe to drink?
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has had no health-based violations since 2016. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.
Who supplies water in Boston, MA?
2 public water systems serve parts of Boston. The largest is Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) (2.6 million people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Boston tap water have PFAS?
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has no results in EPA's 2023–2025 PFAS testing, so there is no federal result. Ask the utility or your state drinking water program.
Do Boston homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 72% of Boston homes as built before 1980 (Massachusetts: 67%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)'s service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.