Is Worcester, MA tap water safe?
Supplied by Worcester DPW&P Water Supply Division · serves 206,518 people (43,205 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MA2348000
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level2 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
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- 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.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Worcester DPW&P Water Supply Division'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 (508) 929-1300. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jul 2023 to Apr 2024. "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 | – |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 0.8 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 1 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: 2 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3 ppb (Dec 2021).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 2 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 7.9 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 10.4 ppb |
| Jul 2000 – Jun 2001 | 14.7 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Jun 2000 | 12 ppb |
| Jul 1999 – Dec 1999 | 5 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 2.29 ppm (Dec 1992), action level 1,300 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
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 | 50.8 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.4 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.051 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Worcester
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 01602, 01603, 01604, 01605, 01606, 01607
Nearby utilities
- Auburn Water District Auburn · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Aquarion Water Company, Millbury Millbury · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- Holden Water Division, Dept. of Public Works Holden · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- Boylston Water District Boylston · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
- Grafton Water District Grafton · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
- Hopkinton Water Department Hopkinton · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Worcester tap water safe to drink?
Most of Worcester gets its water from Worcester DPW&P Water Supply Division. Worcester DPW&P Water Supply Division has no health-based violations since 2016. 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 Worcester water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Worcester DPW&P Water Supply Division found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Worcester water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Worcester DPW&P Water Supply Division is 2 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 MA2348000: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MA2348000).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Worcester DPW&P Water Supply Division at (508) 929-1300, 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.