Is Brockton, MA tap water safe?
Supplied by Brockton Water Department · serves 105,788 people (24,488 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MA4044000
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Inima USA / Aquaria LLC. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
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 level4 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 2023. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Apr 2018.
- 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 Brockton Water Department'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) 580-7865. 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 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: 4 ppb lead (Jan 2021 – Dec 2023). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Jun 2008 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 2007 – Dec 2007 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 16 ppb |
| Jul 2000 – Jun 2003 | 6 ppb |
| Jul 1999 – Jun 2000 | 8 ppb |
| Jul 1998 – Jun 1999 | 9 ppb |
| Jul 1997 – Jun 1998 | 8 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 |
|---|---|
| Apr 2018 | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average (limit 0.080 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 | 159 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.043 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 420 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.13 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Brockton
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 02301, 02302, 02303, 02304, 02305, 02359, 02382
Nearby utilities
- Town of Avon Avon · 4 mi · PFAS above limit
- Abington/Rockland Joint Water Works Abington · 4 mi · PFAS above limit
- Holbrook Public Works Dept Holbrook · 4 mi · PFAS above limit
- Stoughton Water Department Stoughton · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Easton Water Division Easton · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- East Bridgewater Water Dept East Bridgewater · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Brockton tap water safe to drink?
Most of Brockton gets its water from Brockton Water Department. Brockton Water Department 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 Brockton water have PFAS?
EPA tested Brockton Water Department for 29 PFAS between Mar 2023 and Dec 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Brockton water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Brockton Water Department is 4 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2023. 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 MA4044000: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MA4044000).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Brockton Water Department at (508) 580-7865, 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.