Strontium Contamination

Strontium in Massachusetts Drinking Water

Ranked by max strontium detected (µg/L) · UCMR 3 data (2013–2015) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

164

Cities Tested

Over HRL

% Over HRL

129.6 µg/L

State Avg

▼ 6% vs national

vs National

263

Health Violations

Analysis

Strontium in Massachusetts: what the data shows

Massachusetts has 164 cities with strontium data from the EPA's UCMR 3 program (2013–2015). Strontium was detected above the 1,500 µg/L EPA health reference level in 0 of those cities. The state average max detected level is 129.6 µg/L. Strontium occurs naturally in groundwater, particularly in areas with limestone and dolomite geology. It can also enter water from industrial waste and mining operations. There is no federal MCL for strontium, but the EPA established a health reference level (HRL) of 1,500 µg/L. Long-term exposure to strontium above the HRL may affect bone health, particularly in children, by substituting for calcium in developing bones. Reverse osmosis and ion exchange systems are effective at removing strontium from drinking water.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 1,500 µg/L EPA HRL (no MCL)

Massachusetts

0 of 164 cities

← ▼ 6% below national rate (better)

National avg

250 of 4371 cities

City Map

Strontium data across Massachusetts

Each dot is a city with UCMR 3 strontium testing data. Cities where strontium exceeds the 1,500 µg/L EPA health reference level are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by strontium level in Massachusetts

Highest Strontium levels (µg/L)

All Cities

All Massachusetts cities ranked by strontium level

#	City	Level	Over HRL?	Violations	Grade
1	Bellingham	940.0 µg/L	No	21	B-
2	Whately	900.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
3	Haverhill	740.0 µg/L	No	1	C
4	Hatfield	490.0 µg/L	No	3	A-
5	Dedham	360.0 µg/L	No	1	B+
6	Maynard	344.0 µg/L	No	8	B-
7	Burlington	310.0 µg/L	No	7	B+
8	Sudbury	300.0 µg/L	No	10	B-
9	North Attleborough	280.0 µg/L	No	15	F
10	Acton	270.0 µg/L	No	28	F
11	Wilmington	245.0 µg/L	No	5	A-
12	Medway	240.0 µg/L	No	14	B-
13	Swansea	232.0 µg/L	No	12	B+
14	Taunton	230.0 µg/L	No	1	B+
15	Danvers	230.0 µg/L	No	5	B+
16	Sharon	230.0 µg/L	No	5	D+
17	Wellesley	229.0 µg/L	No	20	B
18	Amherst	220.0 µg/L	No	6	A-
19	Shrewsbury	220.0 µg/L	No	3	B+
20	Natick	210.0 µg/L	No	3	B+
21	Foxborough	210.0 µg/L	No	11	A-
22	Grafton	210.0 µg/L	No	25	F
23	Weymouth	200.0 µg/L	No	6	A
24	Chelmsford	200.0 µg/L	No	1	B-
25	Marshfield	200.0 µg/L	No	9	B-
26	Westford	200.0 µg/L	No	9	B
27	Duxbury	200.0 µg/L	No	4	B+
28	Ipswich	200.0 µg/L	No	8	B
29	Easthampton	192.0 µg/L	No	8	A
30	Nantucket	190.0 µg/L	No	12	D
31	Newburyport	190.0 µg/L	No	3	A-
32	Salisbury	190.0 µg/L	No	0	A-
33	Medfield	190.0 µg/L	No	14	B+
34	Marlborough	187.0 µg/L	No	5	A-
35	Cambridge	180.0 µg/L	No	2	B+
36	Franklin	180.0 µg/L	No	11	B+
37	Wayland	180.0 µg/L	No	11	B+
38	Canton	178.0 µg/L	No	11	A-
39	Hadley	175.7 µg/L	No	7	A
40	Woburn	173.0 µg/L	No	5	B+
41	Concord	170.2 µg/L	No	4	B+
42	Dracut	170.0 µg/L	No	5	B
43	Walpole	170.0 µg/L	No	6	A-
44	Westborough	170.0 µg/L	No	13	D
45	North Reading	170.0 µg/L	No	9	A-
46	Rowley	168.3 µg/L	No	10	B
47	Abington	160.0 µg/L	No	14	B
48	Mansfield	160.0 µg/L	No	6	A-
49	Webster	160.0 µg/L	No	19	B
50	Holliston	160.0 µg/L	No	11	C-
51	Middleborough	160.0 µg/L	No	16	B
52	Hanover	160.0 µg/L	No	12	C-
53	East Bridgewater	160.0 µg/L	No	6	B+
54	Westfield	159.0 µg/L	No	7	B+
55	Lowell	157.8 µg/L	No	5	B+
56	Hingham	150.0 µg/L	No	2	C+
57	Bridgewater	150.0 µg/L	No	5	C+
58	Hudson	150.0 µg/L	No	7	F
59	Scituate	150.0 µg/L	No	10	C
60	Holden	150.0 µg/L	No	18	B
61	Needham	142.0 µg/L	No	4	A-
62	Billerica	140.0 µg/L	No	7	B+
63	Norton	140.0 µg/L	No	10	B+
64	Seekonk	140.0 µg/L	No	7	A-
65	Topsfield	137.4 µg/L	No	8	B+
66	Bedford	136.0 µg/L	No	35	B+
67	Northampton	134.0 µg/L	No	5	A-
68	Gardner	130.3 µg/L	No	7	A-
69	Brockton	130.0 µg/L	No	5	A-
70	Plymouth	130.0 µg/L	No	20	F
71	Stoughton	130.0 µg/L	No	13	B
72	Norwell	130.0 µg/L	No	5	B+
73	Milford	129.4 µg/L	No	15	F
74	Plainville	125.0 µg/L	No	9	B
75	Wakefield	122.0 µg/L	No	10	B+
76	Sandwich	120.0 µg/L	No	13	A
77	Peabody	118.0 µg/L	No	7	B
78	Leominster	110.0 µg/L	No	12	B
79	West Springfield	110.0 µg/L	No	7	A
80	Uxbridge	110.0 µg/L	No	2	A-
81	Attleboro	102.3 µg/L	No	3	A-
82	Kingston	101.2 µg/L	No	12	C
83	Randolph	100.0 µg/L	No	8	B+
84	Salem	100.0 µg/L	No	0	A-
85	Holbrook	100.0 µg/L	No	15	B+
86	Barnstable	99.0 µg/L	No	34	D+
87	Braintree	98.5 µg/L	No	1	B
88	Beverly	98.0 µg/L	No	0	A-
89	Easton	97.0 µg/L	No	3	A-
90	Pembroke	97.0 µg/L	No	16	A
91	Yarmouth	85.0 µg/L	No	7	A-
92	Andover	82.4 µg/L	No	2	B+
93	South Hadley	79.0 µg/L	No	16	A-
94	Greenfield	79.0 µg/L	No	3	A-
95	Tewksbury	74.0 µg/L	No	3	B
96	Somerset	69.4 µg/L	No	11	B
97	Ashland	69.0 µg/L	No	7	A-
98	Leicester	69.0 µg/L	No	121	D
99	Lynn	67.0 µg/L	No	5	A-
100	Bourne	62.2 µg/L	No	16	B-
101	Mashpee	62.0 µg/L	No	4	B
102	Lawrence	61.0 µg/L	No	3	B+
103	Wareham	61.0 µg/L	No	22	B
104	Whitman	60.0 µg/L	No	5	A-
105	Methuen	59.0 µg/L	No	1	A
106	Amesbury	58.7 µg/L	No	0	A
107	Dennis	58.0 µg/L	No	5	A
108	Mattapoisett	57.0 µg/L	No	9	A
109	North Andover	57.0 µg/L	No	5	A
110	Dartmouth	57.0 µg/L	No	16	C+
111	Melrose	53.6 µg/L	No	16	B
112	Brewster	52.7 µg/L	No	1	B+
113	Fairhaven	51.0 µg/L	No	9	A
114	Worcester	50.7 µg/L	No	3	B
115	Chatham	50.2 µg/L	No	19	A
116	Oak Bluffs	50.0 µg/L	No	18	B+
117	Waltham	49.4 µg/L	No	11	A-
118	Harwich	49.0 µg/L	No	3	A+
119	Northborough	48.9 µg/L	No	10	B
120	Provincetown	47.0 µg/L	No	5	A
121	Norwood	46.0 µg/L	No	8	A-
122	North Adams	46.0 µg/L	No	5	B
123	Winthrop	45.9 µg/L	No	8	B+
124	Dighton	45.2 µg/L	No	7	D+
125	Clinton	45.0 µg/L	No	17	A-
126	Framingham	44.5 µg/L	No	4	A-
127	Reading	44.0 µg/L	No	1	A-
128	Malden	43.6 µg/L	No	20	B-
129	Somerville	43.4 µg/L	No	12	B+
130	Swampscott	42.9 µg/L	No	9	A-
131	Revere	42.6 µg/L	No	13	B+
132	Medford	41.5 µg/L	No	9	C
133	Watertown	40.9 µg/L	No	5	A-
134	Stoneham	40.7 µg/L	No	15	A-
135	Weston	40.6 µg/L	No	16	A-
136	Everett	40.4 µg/L	No	8	B+
137	Arlington	40.4 µg/L	No	4	A-
138	Marblehead	40.3 µg/L	No	7	A-
139	Belmont	40.2 µg/L	No	5	B+
140	Edgartown	40.0 µg/L	No	6	A
141	Lexington	39.8 µg/L	No	7	B+
142	Chelsea	39.6 µg/L	No	17	A-
143	Boston	39.4 µg/L	No	5	B
144	Saugus	39.4 µg/L	No	10	A-
145	Brookline	39.1 µg/L	No	6	A-
146	Longmeadow	39.0 µg/L	No	18	B
147	Newton	38.8 µg/L	No	8	B
148	Quincy	38.1 µg/L	No	6	A-
149	Milton	38.1 µg/L	No	6	B+
150	Fitchburg	38.0 µg/L	No	9	B+
151	Gloucester	34.1 µg/L	No	4	A
152	Falmouth	33.0 µg/L	No	23	B
153	Orleans	33.0 µg/L	No	3	B
154	Winchester	32.0 µg/L	No	5	C-
155	Tisbury	31.6 µg/L	No	9	B+
156	New Bedford	31.0 µg/L	No	2	A-
157	Southbridge	28.8 µg/L	No	3	A
158	Chicopee	25.9 µg/L	No	0	A-
159	Holyoke	23.3 µg/L	No	0	A-
160	Pittsfield	21.0 µg/L	No	2	A-
161	East Longmeadow	20.2 µg/L	No	5	A-
162	Fall River	20.1 µg/L	No	11	B-
163	Springfield	18.0 µg/L	No	11	B+
164	Agawam	16.0 µg/L	No	8	A-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about strontium in Massachusetts

Is strontium in Massachusetts tap water harmful?

Strontium at low levels is not considered harmful, but the EPA set a health reference level (HRL) of 1,500 µg/L based on potential bone effects. No cities in Massachusetts exceed the HRL. There is currently no federal MCL for strontium. Children may be more susceptible because strontium can substitute for calcium in developing bones.

How can I remove strontium from my drinking water?

Reverse osmosis and ion exchange (water softener) systems are effective at removing strontium from drinking water. Standard carbon filters are NOT effective. If your water comes from a well in an area with limestone or dolomite geology, consider testing for strontium.

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