Forever Chemicals
If you are moving a family across Massachusetts, or just trying to understand the water where you already live, this page is built to orient you. Drinking water for the state's public systems is overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) through its Drinking Water Program, and Massachusetts went further than many states by setting its own enforceable PFAS limit before the federal government did. The figures below show what testing has actually turned up at regulated systems near this address. None of it is a verdict on any single tap. It is what the public records show, laid out so you can see it plainly when you are evaluating an address rather than guessing.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 51 public water systems in Massachusetts for 29 PFAS compounds; 4 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 8% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Massachusetts address.
In Massachusetts, the office watching your water is the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), and its Drinking Water Program is the part that sets the rules public systems have to follow. Massachusetts is among the states that adopted their own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limit ahead of the April 2024 federal rule, regulating a defined group of PFAS compounds together rather than waiting on Washington. That matters for one practical reason: there is a named state agency, not just a distant federal one, accountable for what comes out of regulated taps. It is a lot of acronym for a glass of water, but the upshot is that a state office is supposed to be paying attention.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Massachusettsserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
51
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
4
Systems with any PFAS detected
8% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
5
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
5
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
Red triangles are military installations the Department of Defense has flagged for PFAS from firefighting foam. Orange dots are industrial facilities that reported PFAS to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory. If your future home sits near a cluster, that's a conversation worth having with the seller or landlord.
These are the Massachusettsutilities where EPA testing found PFAS the most often or at the highest levels. Being on this list doesn't automatically mean today's tap water is unsafe — some systems have added treatment since these samples were taken — but it means a conversation with the utility is worth having before you move in.
| Water system | Detections | Max value (ng/L) | vs 2024 MCL |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORTH READING WATER DEPT. | 2 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| NORTH ADAMS WATER DEPT | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| LINCOLN WATER DEPT | 3 | 0 | Below MCL |
| BRAINTREE WATER AND SEWER DEPT. | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
PFAS isn't one chemical — it's a family of thousands. Here are the specific compounds EPA picked up most often across Massachusetts water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
For decades the military trained with AFFF firefighting foam loaded with PFAS. It soaked into soil and groundwater and, in many places, traveled miles. If you're house-hunting near any of these Massachusetts installations, the address report will tell you exactly how close.
Barnes Municipal
Air Force
Devens
Army
Otis ANG (Joint Base Cape Cod - Massachusetts Military Reservation)
Air Force
Otis ANG (Joint Base Cape Cod -Massachusetts Military Reservation)
Air Force
South Weymouth NAS
Navy
Looking at a specific Massachusettscity? Each page below pulls the same federal data narrowed to that water system — useful whether you're relocating, buying, organizing your neighborhood around getting cleaner water, or just trying to find out what's in the tap and what's around you.
Here is how to read what the records show. The federal UCMR5 effort had public water systems serving more than 3,300 people test for 29 PFAS compounds between 2021 and 2024, so the figures above are a snapshot from those years, not a live reading from your faucet. Private wells and many small rural systems were never required to test, so if your home draws from a well, MassDEP's well-water guidance is the better starting point and the numbers here simply will not speak to you. A detection logged in 2022 is not automatically what is flowing today, in either direction. Acronym soup like UCMR is its own dialect, but the underlying question is simple enough.
Military bases matter here for a specific, well-documented reason. For decades, firefighting foam known as AFFF was used in training at installations nationwide, and AFFF is built around the same PFAS compounds that resist breaking down in soil and groundwater. That is why the installations listed above are worth noting when you look at the regional water picture. If you or someone in your family served in Massachusetts, this is not abstract, and we have tried to lay it out without gawking. The records are the records; what you do with them is yours.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 51 public water systems in Massachusetts; 4 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Yes. Massachusetts is among the states that set their own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limit ahead of the April 2024 federal rule, regulating a defined set of PFAS compounds together. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) administers it, alongside the federal limits of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regulates PFAS in public drinking water through its Drinking Water Program, which sets the testing and treatment expectations that regulated systems must meet. Massachusetts tends to be counted among the more forward-leaning states on PFAS, having acted before the federal rule took effect.
MassDEP is the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the state agency that oversees drinking water, air, waste, and contaminated-site cleanup across Massachusetts. If you searched for it expecting the state environmental office, you found the right place.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Massachusetts address, alongside nearby military bases and industrial PFAS sources. The data comes from EPA UCMR 5, EPA TRI, and the DoD PFAS installation report.
In April 2024 the EPA set the first enforceable federal limits for PFAS in drinking water: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA (GenX), plus a Hazard Index for certain mixtures. Public water systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027 and come into compliance after that.
No. The federal limits apply to public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing and treatment, which is especially worth doing near a known PFAS source like a military base or industrial site.
State numbers tell you the pattern. An address report tells you what's actually in the water at yourkitchen sink — the matched utility, the PFAS detections on file, and every military or industrial source nearby. Whether it's for your family, your neighbors, or peace of mind.
Data sources: EPA UCMR 5 bulk data · EPA TRI 2024 · DoD PFAS installation report