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Tap water quality report

Cambridge Water Department

EPA monitoring tested this supplier for 94 contaminants and detected 12. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — the level and EPA source for each is below.

94
contaminants tested
12
detected
118,214
people served
2
health-based violations
Massachusetts rankingsLead in MassachusettsPFAS in Massachusetts
Water source
Surface water
Ownership
Local government
Counties served
Middlesex

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

2
health-based violations
67
violations on file
0
still open
ViolationTypeStatusPeriod
MCL Health-based Archived 1994-08-01 → 1994-08-31
TT Health-based Archived 1992-01-01 → 2000-05-05
MR Monitoring Archived 2019-04-01 → 2019-06-30
MR Monitoring Archived 2019-04-01 → 2019-06-30
MR Monitoring Archived 2019-04-01 → 2019-06-30
MR Monitoring Archived 2019-04-01 → 2019-06-30
MR Monitoring Archived 2019-04-01 → 2019-06-30
MR Monitoring Archived 2019-04-01 → 2019-06-30
MR Monitoring Archived 2019-04-01 → 2019-06-30
MR Monitoring Archived 2019-04-01 → 2019-06-30

PFAS detected

PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest nationwide test results (2023–2025).
ContaminantMaxDetection ratePeriod
Pfhxa 0.0031 µg/L 2/4 2024
Pfpea 0.0036 µg/L 2/4 2024
PFOA 0.0048 µg/L 1/4 2024

Other contaminants detected

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 this system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.
ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitDetection rateSourcePeriod
TTHM
18.8 µg/L 24%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
worst single sample: 32 µg/L
1147/1147 SYR4 2012–2019
Nitrate
690.6 µg/L 6.9%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
worst single sample: 771 µg/L
558/558 SYR4 2012–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
14 µg/L 23%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
worst single sample: 76.4 µg/L
228/228 SYR4 2012–2019
Nitrite
126.4 µg/L 13%
of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L
worst single sample: 175 µg/L
119/231 SYR4 2012–2018
Lead
0.0080 mg/L 53%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
 16/16 LCR 2023
Barium
59.525 µg/L 3%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
worst single sample: 60 µg/L
6/6 SYR4 2012–2018
Fluoride
1050 µg/L 26%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
worst single sample: 1060 µg/L
6/6 SYR4 2012–2018
Copper
1.3 µg/L 0.1%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
 1/1 SYR4 2016
Chromium
1.3 µg/L 1.3%
of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
 1/6 SYR4 2012–2018
82 contaminants tested, none detected
1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalArsenicAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalBromateChlorobenzeneCyanideCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebEthylene DibromideEndrinEthylbenzeneHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaOxamylPfbaPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOSPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneToxapheneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact
JULIE A GREENWOOD-TORELLI
Phone
6173494770
Email
[email protected]

Frequently asked questions about Cambridge Water Department

Is Cambridge Water Department tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 12 contaminants in Cambridge Water Department's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in Cambridge Water Department's water?

EPA monitoring detected TTHM, Nitrate, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Nitrite, Lead, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Cambridge Water Department serve?

Cambridge Water Department reports serving 118,214 people in Massachusetts, per its EPA record.

Has Cambridge Water Department had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 67 violations on file for Cambridge Water Department, of which 2 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

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.