Is Springfield, MA tap water safe?
Supplied by Springfield Water and Sewer Commission · serves 169,170 people (43,302 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MA1281000
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level3.5 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved33 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Apr 2026.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Springfield Water and Sewer Commission's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (413) 310-3500. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Feb 2023 to Nov 2023. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3.5 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 4.7 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Sep 2024 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 2.6 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 4.7 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jul 2014 – Dec 2014 | 5.2 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Jun 2014 | 2.3 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 6.1 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2009 | 4.5 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 1.4 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jul 2021 – Apr 2026 20 times | The running annual average for Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) was above the legal limit. EPA record: Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average (limit 0.060 mg/L) Archived |
| Jan 2022 – Oct 2022 4 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average (limit 0.080 mg/L) Archived |
| Oct 2018 – Jan 2021 9 times | The running annual average for Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) was above the legal limit. EPA record: Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average (limit 0.060 mg/L) Resolved |
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 13.2 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.064 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.41 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.018 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Springfield
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 01001, 01056, 01085, 01104, 01105, 01107, 01109, 01118, 01128
Nearby utilities
- Chicopee Water Dept (MWRA) Chicopee · 5 mi
- Ware Water Dept Ware · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
- Auburn Water District Auburn · 36 mi · PFAS above limit
- Holden Water Division, Dept. of Public Works Holden · 38 mi · PFAS above limit
- Worcester DPW&P Water Supply Division Worcester · 39 mi
- Templeton Municipal. Light and Water Plant Templeton · 39 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Springfield tap water safe to drink?
Most of Springfield gets its water from Springfield Water and Sewer Commission. Springfield Water and Sewer Commission had 33 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Springfield water have PFAS?
EPA tested Springfield Water and Sewer Commission for 29 PFAS between Feb 2023 and Nov 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Springfield water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is 3.5 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for MA1281000: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MA1281000).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Springfield Water and Sewer Commission at (413) 310-3500, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.