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Lead Contamination

Lead in Massachusetts Drinking Water

Ranked by 90th percentile lead level (ppb) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

269
Cities Tested
5
Exceeds Limit
2%
% Exceeds Limit
2.8 ppb
State Avg
▼ 0% vs national
vs National
253
Health Violations
Analysis

Lead in Massachusetts: what the data shows

Massachusetts has 269 cities with lead monitoring data, with very few cities exceeding the EPA action level of 15 ppb. The state average 90th percentile lead level is 2.8 ppb, compared to 3.3 ppb nationally — better than the national average. 5 cities exceed the 15 ppb action level. High lead levels in tap water typically indicate aging infrastructure — lead service lines, lead solder in older plumbing, or lead-containing brass fixtures. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. The 90th percentile measurement means that 90% of tap samples in a city are at or below the reported level. This is the standard EPA uses under the Lead and Copper Rule to determine if a water system needs to take corrective action. An NSF 53-certified pitcher or under-sink filter can effectively remove lead at the tap.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 15 ppb EPA Action Level

Massachusetts
2%
5 of 269 cities
← = Exactly at national rate
National avg
2%
352 of 15325 cities
City Map

Lead data across Massachusetts

Each dot is a city, colored by overall water quality grade. Cities with lead levels above the 15 ppb EPA action level are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by lead level in Massachusetts

Highest Lead levels (ppb)

  1. 1 B Boston 22.5 ppb Yes 676K
  2. 2 B- Malden 17.9 ppb Yes 66K
  3. 3 B+ Worthington 17.5 ppb Yes 565
  4. 4 B- Lancaster 16.9 ppb Yes 6K
  5. 5 C Medford 15.5 ppb Yes 62K
  6. 6 B- Fall River 12.0 ppb 94K
  7. 7 C Upton 11.0 ppb 4K
  8. 8 B Melrose 10.2 ppb 29K
  9. 9 B Somerset 10.0 ppb 18K
  10. 10 B Ipswich 10.0 ppb 13K
All Cities

All Massachusetts cities ranked by lead level

# City Level Level Exceeds? Violations Grade
1 Boston 22.5 ppb
Yes 5
B
2 Malden 17.9 ppb
Yes 20
B-
3 Worthington 17.5 ppb
Yes 0
B+
4 Lancaster 16.9 ppb
Yes 30
B-
5 Medford 15.5 ppb
Yes 9
C
6 Fall River 12.0 ppb
No 11
B-
7 Upton 11.0 ppb
No 9
C
8 Melrose 10.2 ppb
No 16
B
9 Somerset 10.0 ppb
No 11
B
10 Ipswich 10.0 ppb
No 8
B
11 Holyoke 9.0 ppb
No 0
A-
12 Quincy 8.7 ppb
No 6
A-
13 Spencer 8.6 ppb
No 4
B
14 Reading 8.4 ppb
No 1
A-
15 Winthrop 8.3 ppb
No 8
B+
16 Grafton 8.3 ppb
No 25
F
17 Revere 8.1 ppb
No 13
B+
18 Cambridge 8.0 ppb
No 2
B+
19 Amherst 8.0 ppb
No 6
A-
20 Raynham 8.0 ppb
No 0
B+
21 Hanson 8.0 ppb
No 7
B+
22 Milton 7.7 ppb
No 6
B+
23 North Andover 7.2 ppb
No 5
A
24 Dartmouth 7.0 ppb
No 16
C+
25 Medfield 7.0 ppb
No 14
B+
26 Hinsdale 6.9 ppb
No 9
C+
27 Monson 6.4 ppb
No 5
A-
28 Greenfield 6.2 ppb
No 3
A-
29 Georgetown 6.0 ppb
No 8
C+
30 Edgartown 6.0 ppb
No 6
A
31 Halifax 6.0 ppb
No 1
C+
32 Everett 5.7 ppb
No 8
B+
33 Wilbraham 5.6 ppb
No 2
A-
34 Concord 5.1 ppb
No 4
B+
35 Fitchburg 5.0 ppb
No 9
B+
36 Needham 5.0 ppb
No 4
A-
37 Norwood 5.0 ppb
No 8
A-
38 Fairhaven 5.0 ppb
No 9
A
39 Westminster 5.0 ppb
No 29
B+
40 Braintree 4.8 ppb
No 1
B
41 East Brookfield 4.8 ppb
No 2
A-
42 Danvers 4.7 ppb
No 5
B+
43 Groton 4.7 ppb
No 5
B+
44 Chester 4.7 ppb
No 15
C
45 Hadley 4.6 ppb
No 7
A
46 Duxbury 4.4 ppb
No 4
B+
47 Bourne 4.4 ppb
No 16
B-
48 Harvard 4.3 ppb
No 17
F
49 Winchester 4.2 ppb
No 5
C-
50 Wayland 4.2 ppb
No 11
B+
51 Peabody 4.2 ppb
No 7
B
52 New Bedford 4.1 ppb
No 2
A-
53 Brockton 4.0 ppb
No 5
A-
54 Mattapoisett 4.0 ppb
No 9
A
55 Marshfield 4.0 ppb
No 9
B-
56 Abington 4.0 ppb
No 14
B
57 Bedford 4.0 ppb
No 35
B+
58 South Hadley 4.0 ppb
No 16
A-
59 Hanover 4.0 ppb
No 12
C-
60 Norwell 4.0 ppb
No 5
B+
61 Sterling 4.0 ppb
No 11
B
62 Marion 4.0 ppb
No 15
A-
63 Somerville 3.9 ppb
No 12
B+
64 Oak Bluffs 3.9 ppb
No 18
B+
65 Sunderland 3.9 ppb
No 8
B
66 Russell 3.7 ppb
No 5
A-
67 Acton 3.6 ppb
No 28
F
68 Bellingham 3.6 ppb
No 21
B-
69 Springfield 3.5 ppb
No 11
B+
70 Wellesley 3.5 ppb
No 20
B
71 Sudbury 3.5 ppb
No 10
B-
72 Brewster 3.4 ppb
No 1
B+
73 Deerfield 3.4 ppb
No 9
C+
74 Marlborough 3.3 ppb
No 5
A-
75 Holden 3.1 ppb
No 18
B
76 Lynnfield 3.1 ppb
No 7
B
77 Boylston 3.1 ppb
No 11
B
78 Plymouth 3.0 ppb
No 20
F
79 Gloucester 3.0 ppb
No 4
A
80 Randolph 3.0 ppb
No 8
B+
81 Milford 3.0 ppb
No 15
F
82 Stoughton 3.0 ppb
No 13
B
83 Bridgewater 3.0 ppb
No 5
C+
84 Gardner 3.0 ppb
No 7
A-
85 Southbridge 3.0 ppb
No 3
A
86 Pembroke 3.0 ppb
No 16
A
87 Sharon 3.0 ppb
No 5
D+
88 Middleborough 3.0 ppb
No 16
B
89 Belchertown 3.0 ppb
No 26
B-
90 Hatfield 3.0 ppb
No 3
A-
91 West Brookfield 3.0 ppb
No 28
B-
92 Westford 2.9 ppb
No 9
B
93 Holliston 2.9 ppb
No 11
C-
94 Leominster 2.8 ppb
No 12
B
95 Ayer 2.8 ppb
No 4
B
96 Arlington 2.8 ppb
No 4
A-
97 Hudson 2.7 ppb
No 7
F
98 Hamilton 2.7 ppb
No 11
A-
99 Northampton 2.6 ppb
No 5
A-
100 Webster 2.6 ppb
No 19
B
101 Southwick 2.6 ppb
No 9
A-
102 Orange 2.6 ppb
No 5
A
103 Great Barrington 2.6 ppb
No 12
C+
104 Hopedale 2.6 ppb
No 8
B+
105 Easthampton 2.5 ppb
No 8
A
106 Nahant 2.4 ppb
No 9
A-
107 Chelsea 2.4 ppb
No 17
A-
108 Lynn 2.4 ppb
No 5
A-
109 Billerica 2.4 ppb
No 7
B+
110 Chelmsford 2.4 ppb
No 1
B-
111 Maynard 2.4 ppb
No 8
B-
112 Lunenburg 2.4 ppb
No 11
A-
113 Douglas 2.4 ppb
No 13
A
114 Stockbridge 2.4 ppb
No 15
B+
115 Whately 2.4 ppb
No 0
B+
116 Swampscott 2.3 ppb
No 9
A-
117 Palmer 2.3 ppb
No 11
B
118 Shelburne 2.3 ppb
No 4
A
119 Egremont 2.3 ppb
No 3
A-
120 Burlington 2.2 ppb
No 7
B+
121 Southampton 2.2 ppb
No 4
A-
122 Lanesborough 2.2 ppb
No 10
A-
123 Hancock 2.2 ppb
No 5
A-
124 Marblehead 2.1 ppb
No 7
A-
125 Weston 2.0 ppb
No 16
A-
126 Worcester 2.0 ppb
No 3
B
127 Dighton 2.0 ppb
No 7
D+
128 Attleboro 2.0 ppb
No 3
A-
129 Dedham 2.0 ppb
No 1
B+
130 Franklin 2.0 ppb
No 11
B+
131 Nantucket 2.0 ppb
No 12
D
132 Mansfield 2.0 ppb
No 6
A-
133 Provincetown 2.0 ppb
No 5
A
134 Wareham 2.0 ppb
No 22
B
135 Salisbury 2.0 ppb
No 0
A-
136 Scituate 2.0 ppb
No 10
C
137 Swansea 2.0 ppb
No 12
B+
138 Plainville 2.0 ppb
No 9
B
139 Acushnet 2.0 ppb
No 2
A-
140 Cohasset 2.0 ppb
No 2
B
141 Sutton 2.0 ppb
No 17
B
142 Waltham 1.9 ppb
No 11
A-
143 Auburn 1.9 ppb
No 16
D+
144 Huntington 1.9 ppb
No 4
C+
145 West Stockbridge 1.9 ppb
No 3
A-
146 Wellfleet 1.9 ppb
No 7
C+
147 Taunton 1.8 ppb
No 1
B+
148 Walpole 1.8 ppb
No 6
A-
149 Wilmington 1.8 ppb
No 5
A-
150 Westborough 1.8 ppb
No 13
D
151 Lexington 1.8 ppb
No 7
B+
152 Beverly 1.7 ppb
No 0
A-
153 Pittsfield 1.7 ppb
No 2
A-
154 North Reading 1.7 ppb
No 9
A-
155 Barnstable 1.7 ppb
No 34
D+
156 Framingham 1.6 ppb
No 4
A-
157 Methuen 1.6 ppb
No 1
A
158 West Springfield 1.6 ppb
No 7
A
159 Ashland 1.6 ppb
No 7
A-
160 Merrimac 1.6 ppb
No 11
B
161 Townsend 1.6 ppb
No 14
B
162 Rutland 1.6 ppb
No 22
C-
163 Wenham 1.6 ppb
No 9
A-
164 Wakefield 1.5 ppb
No 10
B+
165 Chicopee 1.5 ppb
No 0
A-
166 Yarmouth 1.5 ppb
No 7
A-
167 Agawam 1.5 ppb
No 8
A-
168 Belmont 1.5 ppb
No 5
B+
169 Longmeadow 1.5 ppb
No 18
B
170 Millis 1.5 ppb
No 4
B+
171 Barre 1.5 ppb
No 20
C
172 Stoneham 1.4 ppb
No 15
A-
173 Saugus 1.4 ppb
No 10
A-
174 Canton 1.4 ppb
No 11
A-
175 East Longmeadow 1.4 ppb
No 5
A-
176 Manchester 1.4 ppb
No 7
A-
177 Sturbridge 1.4 ppb
No 7
B+
178 Avon 1.4 ppb
No 5
A
179 Shirley 1.4 ppb
No 18
C
180 Mashpee 1.4 ppb
No 4
B
181 Ashburnham 1.3 ppb
No 11
B+
182 Seekonk 1.3 ppb
No 7
A-
183 Uxbridge 1.3 ppb
No 2
A-
184 Bernardston 1.3 ppb
No 7
B
185 Bolton 1.3 ppb
No 4
B+
186 Brookline 1.3 ppb
No 6
A-
187 Newton 1.3 ppb
No 8
B
188 Woburn 1.3 ppb
No 5
B+
189 Amesbury 1.2 ppb
No 0
A
190 Dudley 1.2 ppb
No 14
B+
191 Warren 1.2 ppb
No 20
C+
192 Falmouth 1.1 ppb
No 23
B
193 Chatham 1.1 ppb
No 19
A
194 Pepperell 1.1 ppb
No 12
B-
195 Dalton 1.1 ppb
No 6
A
196 Watertown 1.1 ppb
No 5
A-
197 Athol 1.1 ppb
No 3
A
198 Weymouth 1.0 ppb
No 6
A
199 Hingham 1.0 ppb
No 2
C+
200 North Attleborough 1.0 ppb
No 15
F
201 Easton 1.0 ppb
No 3
A-
202 Norton 1.0 ppb
No 10
B+
203 Kingston 1.0 ppb
No 12
C
204 East Bridgewater 1.0 ppb
No 6
B+
205 Holbrook 1.0 ppb
No 15
B+
206 Southborough 1.0 ppb
No 5
A
207 West Bridgewater 1.0 ppb
No 4
A-
208 Winchendon 1.0 ppb
No 13
A-
209 Lincoln 1.0 ppb
No 8
B+
210 West Newbury 1.0 ppb
No 3
A
211 Williamsburg 1.0 ppb
No 9
A
212 Chilmark 1.0 ppb
No 10
D+
213 Mendon 1.0 ppb
No 4
A-
214 Northborough 0.9 ppb
No 10
B
215 Brookfield 0.9 ppb
No 17
B
216 Westfield 0.9 ppb
No 7
B+
217 Lee 0.9 ppb
No 11
B+
218 Cheshire 0.9 ppb
No 6
A-
219 Carver 0.8 ppb
No 23
C-
220 Tyngsborough 0.6 ppb
No 9
C-
221 Boxborough 0.5 ppb
No 14
D+
222 Williamstown 0.3 ppb
No 10
A-
223 Lowell 0.0 ppb
No 5
B+
224 Lawrence 0.0 ppb
No 3
B+
225 Sandwich 0.0 ppb
No 13
A
226 Dennis 0.0 ppb
No 5
A
227 Haverhill 0.0 ppb
No 1
C
228 Salem 0.0 ppb
No 0
A-
229 Harwich 0.0 ppb
No 3
A+
230 Shrewsbury 0.0 ppb
No 3
B+
231 Natick 0.0 ppb
No 3
B+
232 Andover 0.0 ppb
No 2
B+
233 Dracut 0.0 ppb
No 5
B
234 Tewksbury 0.0 ppb
No 3
B
235 Newburyport 0.0 ppb
No 3
A-
236 Orleans 0.0 ppb
No 3
B
237 Foxborough 0.0 ppb
No 11
A-
238 Clinton 0.0 ppb
No 17
A-
239 Whitman 0.0 ppb
No 5
A-
240 Medway 0.0 ppb
No 14
B-
241 North Adams 0.0 ppb
No 5
B
242 Wrentham 0.0 ppb
No 64
F
243 Hopkinton 0.0 ppb
No 24
B-
244 Millbury 0.0 ppb
No 4
C
245 Ware 0.0 ppb
No 11
B
246 Rockport 0.0 ppb
No 4
A
247 Blackstone 0.0 ppb
No 9
B+
248 Lenox 0.0 ppb
No 0
A-
249 Littleton 0.0 ppb
No 13
A-
250 Northbridge 0.0 ppb
No 8
A-
251 Adams 0.0 ppb
No 6
A+
252 Norfolk 0.0 ppb
No 12
F
253 Middleton 0.0 ppb
No 0
B
254 West Boylston 0.0 ppb
No 22
B
255 Groveland 0.0 ppb
No 3
A-
256 Rowley 0.0 ppb
No 10
B
257 Eastham 0.0 ppb
No 0
A-
258 Templeton 0.0 ppb
No 0
B+
259 Tisbury 0.0 ppb
No 9
B+
260 Topsfield 0.0 ppb
No 8
B+
261 Leicester 0.0 ppb
No 121
D
262 Paxton 0.0 ppb
No 11
A-
263 North Brookfield 0.0 ppb
No 4
A-
264 Essex 0.0 ppb
No 0
A
265 Newbury 0.0 ppb
No 4
A
266 Freetown 0.0 ppb
No 0
A-
267 Northfield 0.0 ppb
No 7
A-
268 Colchester 0.0 ppb
No 0
A-
269 Erving 0.0 ppb
No 3
A
FAQ

Frequently asked questions about lead in Massachusetts

Is lead in Massachusetts tap water a concern?

Yes — 5 of 269 cities with lead data exceed the EPA action level of 15 ppb. The state average is 2.8 ppb. Even below the action level, lead poses health risks especially for children and pregnant women. If your home was built before 1986, consider testing your tap water directly.

How can I reduce lead exposure from Massachusetts tap water?

Use an NSF 53-certified water filter, which is specifically certified to reduce lead. Run your cold tap for 30 seconds before drinking or cooking, especially if water has been sitting in pipes for hours. Never use hot tap water for cooking or making baby formula, as heat increases lead leaching from pipes.

Which Massachusetts cities have the highest lead levels?

The cities with the highest 90th percentile lead levels in Massachusetts are: Boston (22.5 ppb), Malden (17.9 ppb), Worthington (17.5 ppb), Lancaster (16.9 ppb), Medford (15.5 ppb). See the full ranked table above.

More contaminants

Other contaminants in Massachusetts

PFAS in Massachusetts
Ranked by compounds detected
→
Copper in Massachusetts
Ranked by 90th percentile level (mg/L)
→
HAA5 in Massachusetts
Ranked by average concentration (µg/L)
→
Chromium-6 in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Arsenic in Massachusetts
Ranked by violation count
→
Nitrate in Massachusetts
Ranked by violation count
→
Strontium in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
1,4-Dioxane in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Manganese in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Vanadium in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Chlorate in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Molybdenum in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Cobalt in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
Lithium in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
NDMA in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (ng/L)
→
Perchlorate in Massachusetts
Ranked by max detected (µg/L)
→
All states

Lead in drinking water by state

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
← Lead contamination overview Explore Massachusetts water quality → National Lead map →