Is Dracut, MA tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
Dracut Water Supply District, the largest system here, had PFAS above the 2024 federal limits (PFOA) in EPA's 2023–2025 testing.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
2 public water systems serve parts of Dracut. The largest, Dracut Water Supply District, serves 25,808 people, and one system here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
Dracut Water Supply District
25,808 people · Purchased surface water · EPA ID MA3079000
Buys treated water from Lowell Regional Water Utility.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 5.4 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Not detected | – | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| PFNA Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
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.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 80% of the Massachusetts systems EPA tested.
Lead: 0 ppb at the 90th percentile (Nov 2026, 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.
Dracut homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Dracut town (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Other water systems serving Dracut
- Kenwood Water District9,620 people · Purchased surface water · Massachusetts · lists this cityPFOA detected
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Lowell 3 mi Lowell Regional Water Utility | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Tewksbury 6 mi Tewksbury Water Department | None above limits | 1 ppb |
| Chelmsford 7 mi Chelmsford Water District | Above limit | 2.4 ppb |
| Lawrence 7 mi Lawrence Water Works | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Andover 7 mi Andover Water Dept | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Billerica 9 mi Billerica Water Works | None above limits | 2.4 ppb |
Dracut ZIP codes (1)
- 01826
Questions
Is Dracut tap water safe to drink?
Dracut Water Supply District has had no health-based violations since 2016, and EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which it must meet by 2029. 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 Dracut, MA?
2 public water systems serve parts of Dracut. The largest is Dracut Water Supply District (25,808 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Dracut tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA at Dracut Water Supply District. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Dracut homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 57% of Dracut 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. Dracut Water Supply District'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.