Essex Water Quality Report
33 cities ranked · Average grade: A- · Massachusetts
Avg Score
85
Cities Ranked
33
Health Violations
27
PFAS Detected
21
85
County avg score
33
Cities ranked
94%
A or B grade
0%
D or F grade
27
Health violations
21
PFAS detected
Grade Distribution
How Essex cities scored
A
21
64%
Excellent
B
10
30%
Good
C
2
6%
Fair
D
0
0%
Poor
F
0
0%
Failing
Comparison
County vs Massachusetts average
▲ 5.7 pts above state average
City Map
Water quality across Essex
Each dot is a city, colored by grade. Click any city to view its full report.
Highlights
Top & bottom cities in Essex
Best cities
Worst cities
County context
4
Superfund sites in Essex
86.9%
of residents on fluoridated water (CDC, 2020)
11
lbs/yr to surface water · top 10 TRI facilities
Industrial pollution
Top industrial polluters in Essex
Industrial polluters nearby
Facilities reporting the most surface-water releases in Essex, 2023.
Total reported releases to surface water: 11 lbs
| Facility | Top chemical | To surface water (lbs/yr) |
|---|---|---|
GE AEROSPACE LYNN, MA01905 | Chromium | 11 |
ICP CONSTRUCTION ANDOVER, MA01810 | — | — |
RAYTHEON CO ANDOVER, MA01810 | — | — |
SHAWSHEEN RUBBER CO INC ANDOVER, MA01810 | — | — |
VICOR CORP ANDOVER, MA01810 | — | — |
+ 5 more facilities
Source: EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) 2023
Superfund sites
Superfund sites in Essex
Superfund sites nearby
Federally tracked hazardous-waste sites within Essex on the EPA National Priorities List.
- CREESE COOK TANNERY FORMER
- GROVELAND WELLS
- HAVERHILL MUNICIPAL LANDFILL
- MICROFAB INC FORMER
Source: EPA Superfund National Priorities List
Full Rankings
All 33 cities in Essex
| # | City | Grade | Score | Score | Population | Violations | Issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newbury | A | 94.8 | 2K | 29 | Health Unresolved | |
| 2 | Essex | A | 94.7 | 4K | 40 | Unresolved | |
| 3 | West Newbury | A | 94.5 | 3K | 6 | Health Unresolved | |
| 4 | Rockport | A | 92.3 | 10K | 10 | Health Unresolved | |
| 5 | Amesbury | A | 91.7 | 17K | 28 | Unresolved | |
| 6 | North Andover | A | 91.5 | 31K | 13 | Health Unresolved | |
| 7 | Methuen | A | 90.7 | 53K | 25 | Health Unresolved | |
| 8 | Gloucester | A | 90.2 | 37K | 79 | Health Unresolved | |
| 9 | Saugus | A- | 89.2 | 27K | 13 | Health Unresolved | |
| 10 | Marblehead | A- | 89.2 | 20K | 8 | Health Unresolved | |
| 11 | Lynn | A- | 89 | 101K | 12 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 12 | Swampscott | A- | 88.8 | 15K | 10 | Health Unresolved | |
| 13 | Nahant | A- | 88.1 | 3K | 15 | Health Unresolved | |
| 14 | Groveland | A- | 88 | 7K | 38 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 15 | Hamilton | A- | 87.9 | 7K | 67 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 16 | Wenham | A- | 87.6 | 4K | 12 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 17 | Beverly | A- | 87.5 | 138K | 15 | Unresolved | |
| 18 | Salisbury | A- | 87.5 | 20K | 34 | PFAS Unresolved | |
| 19 | Newburyport | A- | 86.2 | 20K | 37 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 20 | Salem | A- | 85.7 | 45K | 1 | Unresolved | |
| 21 | Manchester | A- | 85.1 | 5K | 69 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 22 | Andover | B+ | 82.8 | 37K | 4 | Health Unresolved | |
| 23 | Danvers | B+ | 82.5 | 28K | 36 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 24 | Topsfield | B+ | 82.1 | 5K | 51 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 25 | Lawrence | B+ | 81.4 | 89K | 183 | Health Unresolved | |
| 26 | Rowley | B | 79.4 | 6K | 74 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 27 | Merrimac | B | 78 | 7K | 208 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 28 | Middleton | B | 77.9 | 7K | 9 | PFAS Unresolved | |
| 29 | Peabody | B | 77.8 | 54K | 116 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 30 | Ipswich | B | 76.2 | 13K | 50 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 31 | Lynnfield | B | 75.2 | 13K | 118 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 32 | Georgetown | C+ | 68.2 | 9K | 89 | Health Unresolved | |
| 33 | Haverhill | C | 64.2 | 63K | 73 | Health Unresolved |