Is Lowell, MA tap water safe?
Supplied by Lowell Regional Water Utility · serves 120,418 people (26,043 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MA3160000
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit3 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level0 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 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Jul 2017.
- 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 Lowell Regional Water Utility'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 (978) 674-4240. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Mar 2023 to Dec 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 1.15 ppt 29% of the limit |
| 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 Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 1 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 0.97 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 3 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: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 2 ppb (Dec 2022).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 1.1 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2022 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 1 ppb |
| Jul 2018 – Dec 2018 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Jun 2018 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 2 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 2017 | The water chemistry that keeps lead from dissolving out of pipes was outside the range the state set. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance (limit TT ) Archived |
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 | 27.5 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.069 ppb | – |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.098 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chlorate | 342 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.16 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Lowell
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 01826, 01850, 01851, 01852, 01853, 01854
Nearby utilities
- Dracut Water Supply District Dracut · 3 mi · PFAS above limit
- Chelmsford Water District Chelmsford · 4 mi · PFAS above limit
- Haystack Estates Water System Westford · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- Lawrence Water Works Lawrence · 9 mi
- Methuen Water Dept Methuen Town · 10 mi
- Acton Water Supply District Acton · 12 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Lowell tap water safe to drink?
Most of Lowell gets its water from Lowell Regional Water Utility. Lowell Regional Water Utility had 1 health-based violation 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 Lowell water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Lowell Regional Water Utility found 3 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Lowell water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Lowell Regional Water Utility is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. 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 MA3160000: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MA3160000).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Lowell Regional Water Utility at (978) 674-4240, 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.