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Tap water quality report

Sterling, MA

EPA monitoring detected 17 contaminants across the 1 water supplier serving Sterling. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — see the level at the main supplier for each below, with its EPA source and period.

1
water supplier
6,715
people served
17
contaminants found
Massachusetts rankings Lead in Massachusetts PFAS in Massachusetts

What was found in Sterling's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitSuppliersSource
Nitrate
2858.5 µg/L 29%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Nitrite
72 µg/L 7.2%
of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2018
1/1 SYR4
Barium
61.65 µg/L 3.1%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2018
1/1 SYR4
Fluoride
33 µg/L 0.8%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2018
1/1 SYR4
TTHM
17.4 µg/L 22%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Chloroform
3.76 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2017
1/1 SYR4
Bromodichloromethane
3.41 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2017
1/1 SYR4
Arsenic
2 µg/L 20%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2018
1/1 SYR4
Selenium
2 µg/L 4%
of the EPA limit 50 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2018
1/1 SYR4
Dibromochloromethane
1.88 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2017
1/1 SYR4
Chromium
1 µg/L 1%
of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2018
1/1 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
0.6950 µg/L 1.2%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Tetrachloroethylene
0.6850 µg/L 14%
of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Bromoform
0.6000 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2017
1/1 SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid
0.6000 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2017
1/1 SYR4
PFOS
0.0052 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2024
1/1 UCMR-5
Lead
0.0040 mg/L 27%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT · 6,715 people · 2025
1/1 LCR
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Sterling

SupplierPopulation served
STERLING WATER DEPARTMENT 6,715

Frequently asked questions about Sterling tap water

Is Sterling tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 17 contaminants in the water serving Sterling. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Sterling?

1 public water supplier report drinking-water monitoring for Sterling, Massachusetts to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Sterling's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Sterling include Nitrate, Nitrite, Barium, Fluoride, TTHM. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.