PFAS Contamination

PFAS in Massachusetts Drinking Water

Ranked by number of PFAS compounds detected · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

238

Cities Tested

103

Exceeds Limit

43%

% Exceeds Limit

2.3 compounds

State Avg

▲ 22% vs national

vs National

263

Health Violations

Analysis

PFAS in Massachusetts: what the data shows

Massachusetts has 238 cities with PFAS monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 5 program. PFAS ("forever chemicals") were detected in 138 of those cities (58%), with many cities exceeding the EPA's 2024 maximum contaminant levels of 4 ppt. The state average is worse than the national average. 103 cities exceed the EPA MCL for at least one PFAS compound. PFAS are linked to cancer, immune system disruption, and developmental issues. The 2024 EPA rule requires water systems exceeding the MCL to notify customers and reduce levels by 2029. PFAS data comes from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR 5), which required large water systems to test for 29 PFAS compounds between 2023–2025. Not all systems have completed testing — cities without data may still have PFAS present.

Comparison

Cities exceeding EPA MCL (4 ppt each)

Massachusetts

43%

103 of 238 cities

→ ▲ 22% above national rate (worse)

National avg

21%

1662 of 7853 cities

City Map

PFAS data across Massachusetts

Each dot is a city, colored by overall water quality grade. PFAS-tested cities are shown; those exceeding the 4 ppt EPA MCL appear in red. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by pfas level in Massachusetts

Highest PFAS levels (compounds)

All Cities

All Massachusetts cities ranked by pfas level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	Duxbury	10 compounds	Yes	4	B+
2	Marshfield	8 compounds	Yes	9	B-
3	Abington	8 compounds	Yes	14	B
4	North Attleborough	8 compounds	Yes	15	F
5	Acton	8 compounds	Yes	28	F
6	Middleborough	8 compounds	Yes	16	B
7	Hanover	8 compounds	Yes	12	C-
8	Barnstable	7 compounds	Yes	34	D+
9	Bridgewater	7 compounds	Yes	5	C+
10	Dartmouth	7 compounds	Yes	16	C+
11	Norton	7 compounds	Yes	10	B+
12	Raynham	7 compounds	Yes	0	B+
13	Millbury	7 compounds	Yes	4	C
14	Norwell	7 compounds	Yes	5	B+
15	Holbrook	7 compounds	Yes	15	B+
16	Rowley	7 compounds	Yes	10	B
17	Randolph	6 compounds	Yes	8	B+
18	Woburn	6 compounds	Yes	5	B+
19	Chelmsford	6 compounds	Yes	1	B-
20	Natick	6 compounds	Yes	3	B+
21	Wellesley	6 compounds	Yes	20	B
22	Walpole	6 compounds	No	6	A-
23	Easton	6 compounds	Yes	3	A-
24	Westford	6 compounds	Yes	9	B
25	Sudbury	6 compounds	Yes	10	B-
26	Swansea	6 compounds	Yes	12	B+
27	Sharon	6 compounds	Yes	5	D+
28	Wayland	6 compounds	Yes	11	B+
29	Ipswich	6 compounds	Yes	8	B
30	Shirley	6 compounds	Yes	18	C
31	Manchester	6 compounds	Yes	7	A-
32	Lynn	5 compounds	Yes	5	A-
33	Peabody	5 compounds	Yes	7	B
34	Attleboro	5 compounds	Yes	3	A-
35	Hingham	5 compounds	Yes	2	C+
36	Billerica	5 compounds	Yes	7	B+
37	Braintree	5 compounds	Yes	1	B
38	Yarmouth	5 compounds	No	7	A-
39	Shrewsbury	5 compounds	Yes	3	B+
40	Franklin	5 compounds	Yes	11	B+
41	Milford	5 compounds	Yes	15	F
42	Stoughton	5 compounds	Yes	13	B
43	Foxborough	5 compounds	Yes	11	A-
44	Holden	5 compounds	Yes	18	B
45	Holliston	5 compounds	Yes	11	C-
46	Whitman	5 compounds	No	5	A-
47	Grafton	5 compounds	Yes	25	F
48	Lynnfield	5 compounds	Yes	7	B
49	Hopkinton	5 compounds	Yes	24	B-
50	Medfield	5 compounds	Yes	14	B+
51	Wrentham	5 compounds	Yes	64	F
52	Maynard	5 compounds	Yes	8	B-
53	Norfolk	5 compounds	Yes	12	F
54	Millis	5 compounds	Yes	4	B+
55	West Bridgewater	5 compounds	Yes	4	A-
56	Cohasset	5 compounds	Yes	2	B
57	Hamilton	5 compounds	Yes	11	A-
58	Middleton	5 compounds	Yes	0	B
59	Topsfield	5 compounds	Yes	8	B+
60	Wenham	5 compounds	Yes	9	A-
61	Hatfield	5 compounds	No	3	A-
62	Dighton	4 compounds	Yes	7	D+
63	Dedham	4 compounds	Yes	1	B+
64	Bourne	4 compounds	Yes	16	B-
65	Dracut	4 compounds	Yes	5	B
66	Mansfield	4 compounds	Yes	6	A-
67	Canton	4 compounds	Yes	11	A-
68	Scituate	4 compounds	Yes	10	C
69	Concord	4 compounds	Yes	4	B+
70	Auburn	4 compounds	Yes	16	D+
71	Medway	4 compounds	Yes	14	B-
72	Ware	4 compounds	Yes	11	B
73	Plainville	4 compounds	Yes	9	B
74	Halifax	4 compounds	Yes	1	C+
75	Groveland	4 compounds	Yes	3	A-
76	Templeton	4 compounds	Yes	0	B+
77	Hopedale	4 compounds	Yes	8	B+
78	Cambridge	3 compounds	Yes	2	B+
79	Lowell	3 compounds	Yes	5	B+
80	Plymouth	3 compounds	No	20	F
81	Methuen	3 compounds	No	1	A
82	Fitchburg	3 compounds	Yes	9	B+
83	Tewksbury	3 compounds	Yes	3	B
84	Wakefield	3 compounds	Yes	10	B+
85	Westborough	3 compounds	Yes	13	D
86	Salisbury	3 compounds	Yes	0	A-
87	Webster	3 compounds	Yes	19	B
88	Bellingham	3 compounds	Yes	21	B-
89	North Reading	3 compounds	No	9	A-
90	Ayer	3 compounds	No	4	B
91	East Bridgewater	3 compounds	Yes	6	B+
92	Uxbridge	3 compounds	Yes	2	A-
93	Lincoln	3 compounds	Yes	8	B+
94	Leicester	3 compounds	No	121	D
95	Lunenburg	3 compounds	Yes	11	A-
96	West Boylston	3 compounds	Yes	22	B
97	Townsend	3 compounds	Yes	14	B
98	Tyngsborough	3 compounds	Yes	9	C-
99	Paxton	3 compounds	No	11	A-
100	Beverly	2 compounds	No	0	A-
101	Lawrence	2 compounds	No	3	B+
102	Dennis	2 compounds	No	5	A
103	Salem	2 compounds	No	0	A-
104	Needham	2 compounds	Yes	4	A-
105	Oak Bluffs	2 compounds	No	18	B+
106	Wilmington	2 compounds	No	5	A-
107	Newburyport	2 compounds	Yes	3	A-
108	Pembroke	2 compounds	No	16	A
109	Hanson	2 compounds	Yes	7	B+
110	Pepperell	2 compounds	Yes	12	B-
111	Avon	2 compounds	Yes	5	A
112	Boylston	2 compounds	Yes	11	B
113	Worcester	1 compounds	No	3	B
114	New Bedford	1 compounds	No	2	A-
115	Revere	1 compounds	No	13	B+
116	Weymouth	1 compounds	No	6	A
117	Pittsfield	1 compounds	No	2	A-
118	Leominster	1 compounds	Yes	12	B
119	Westfield	1 compounds	No	7	B+
120	Holyoke	1 compounds	No	0	A-
121	Mashpee	1 compounds	No	4	B
122	Andover	1 compounds	No	2	B+
123	Danvers	1 compounds	Yes	5	B+
124	Wareham	1 compounds	Yes	22	B
125	Burlington	1 compounds	No	7	B+
126	Hudson	1 compounds	No	7	F
127	Southbridge	1 compounds	No	3	A
128	Ashland	1 compounds	No	7	A-
129	Seekonk	1 compounds	Yes	7	A-
130	North Adams	1 compounds	Yes	5	B
131	Blackstone	1 compounds	Yes	9	B+
132	Oxford	1 compounds	No	7	C+
133	Groton	1 compounds	No	5	B+
134	Merrimac	1 compounds	Yes	11	B
135	Sterling	1 compounds	Yes	11	B
136	Orange	1 compounds	No	5	A
137	West Newbury	1 compounds	No	3	A
138	Whately	1 compounds	No	0	B+
139	Boston	0 compounds	No	5	B
140	Springfield	0 compounds	No	11	B+
141	Quincy	0 compounds	No	6	A-
142	Brockton	0 compounds	No	5	A-
143	Falmouth	0 compounds	No	23	B
144	Fall River	0 compounds	No	11	B-
145	Newton	0 compounds	No	8	B
146	Somerville	0 compounds	No	12	B+
147	Sandwich	0 compounds	No	13	A
148	Framingham	0 compounds	No	4	A-
149	Malden	0 compounds	No	20	B-
150	Waltham	0 compounds	No	11	A-
151	Haverhill	0 compounds	No	1	C
152	Brookline	0 compounds	No	6	A-
153	Taunton	0 compounds	No	1	B+
154	Medford	0 compounds	No	9	C
155	Chicopee	0 compounds	No	0	A-
156	Everett	0 compounds	No	8	B+
157	Arlington	0 compounds	No	4	A-
158	Marlborough	0 compounds	No	5	A-
159	Amherst	0 compounds	No	6	A-
160	Harwich	0 compounds	No	3	A+
161	Chelsea	0 compounds	No	17	A-
162	Gloucester	0 compounds	No	4	A
163	Mattapoisett	0 compounds	No	9	A
164	Watertown	0 compounds	No	5	A-
165	Brewster	0 compounds	No	1	B+
166	Lexington	0 compounds	No	7	B+
167	North Andover	0 compounds	No	5	A
168	Nantucket	0 compounds	No	12	D
169	Chatham	0 compounds	No	19	A
170	Norwood	0 compounds	No	8	A-
171	Northampton	0 compounds	No	5	A-
172	Melrose	0 compounds	No	16	B
173	West Springfield	0 compounds	No	7	A
174	Agawam	0 compounds	No	8	A-
175	Milton	0 compounds	No	6	B+
176	Reading	0 compounds	No	1	A-
177	Belmont	0 compounds	No	5	B+
178	Saugus	0 compounds	No	10	A-
179	Bedford	0 compounds	No	35	B+
180	Stoneham	0 compounds	No	15	A-
181	Winchester	0 compounds	No	5	C-
182	Provincetown	0 compounds	No	5	A
183	Gardner	0 compounds	No	7	A-
184	South Hadley	0 compounds	No	16	A-
185	Marblehead	0 compounds	No	7	A-
186	Winthrop	0 compounds	No	8	B+
187	Orleans	0 compounds	No	3	B
188	Somerset	0 compounds	No	11	B
189	Greenfield	0 compounds	No	3	A-
190	Amesbury	0 compounds	No	0	A
191	Easthampton	0 compounds	No	8	A
192	East Longmeadow	0 compounds	No	5	A-
193	Northbridge	0 compounds	No	8	A-
194	Longmeadow	0 compounds	No	18	B
195	Clinton	0 compounds	No	17	A-
196	Swampscott	0 compounds	No	9	A-
197	Ashburnham	0 compounds	No	11	B+
198	Kingston	0 compounds	No	12	C
199	Fairhaven	0 compounds	No	9	A
200	Northborough	0 compounds	No	10	B
201	Weston	0 compounds	No	16	A-
202	Palmer	0 compounds	No	11	B
203	Southborough	0 compounds	No	5	A
204	Athol	0 compounds	No	3	A
205	Rockport	0 compounds	No	4	A
206	Lenox	0 compounds	No	0	A-
207	Littleton	0 compounds	No	13	A-
208	Georgetown	0 compounds	No	8	C+
209	Acushnet	0 compounds	No	2	A-
210	Wilbraham	0 compounds	No	2	A-
211	Montague	0 compounds	No	4	A
212	Edgartown	0 compounds	No	6	A
213	Adams	0 compounds	No	6	A+
214	Southwick	0 compounds	No	9	A-
215	Williamstown	0 compounds	No	10	A-
216	Spencer	0 compounds	No	4	B
217	Dalton	0 compounds	No	6	A
218	Great Barrington	0 compounds	No	12	C+
219	Eastham	0 compounds	No	0	A-
220	Tisbury	0 compounds	No	9	B+
221	Lancaster	0 compounds	No	30	B-
222	Marion	0 compounds	No	15	A-
223	Winchendon	0 compounds	No	13	A-
224	Rutland	0 compounds	No	22	C-
225	Lee	0 compounds	No	11	B+
226	Deerfield	0 compounds	No	9	C+
227	Dudley	0 compounds	No	14	B+
228	Sturbridge	0 compounds	No	7	B+
229	Hadley	0 compounds	No	7	A
230	Southampton	0 compounds	No	4	A-
231	Upton	0 compounds	No	9	C
232	Douglas	0 compounds	No	13	A
233	Barre	0 compounds	No	20	C
234	Monson	0 compounds	No	5	A-
235	Westminster	0 compounds	No	29	B+
236	North Brookfield	0 compounds	No	4	A-
237	Belchertown	0 compounds	No	26	B-
238	Nahant	0 compounds	No	9	A-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pfas in Massachusetts

Does Massachusetts tap water contain PFAS?

PFAS were detected in 138 of 238 Massachusetts cities tested under EPA's UCMR 5 program. 103 cities exceed the 2024 EPA MCL of 4 ppt for individual PFAS compounds.

How can I remove PFAS from my drinking water in Massachusetts?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are the most effective at removing PFAS, typically removing 90%+ of compounds. High-quality activated carbon block filters (NSF 58-certified for RO, or NSF 53 for solid carbon) also provide significant reduction. Standard pitcher filters vary widely in PFAS removal.

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