Public water system record
North Adams Water Dept
Serves North Adams, Berkshire County, MA · 13,000 people served
Federal records show 2 health-based violations and 30 monitoring/reporting issues for North Adams Water Dept in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved Stage 1 Disinfection Byproducts Rule violation.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 2
- Resolved
- 2
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 30
Key facts
- North Adams Water Dept draws water from 1 well and 2 surface water intakes.
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by Massachusetts, May 2018.
- Record on file since 1981, with 4 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 2 lead and 2,976 unknown out of 4,756 service lines.
Check whether North Adams Water Dept serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
| Contaminant | Rule family | Start date | Status | Acute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage 1 Disinfection Byproducts Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
210 | Mar 20, 2017 | Resolved | No |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
120 | Jan 1, 2014 | Resolved | No |
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
2,3,7,8-TCDD
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Simazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Picloram
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
OXAMYL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
HEXACHLOROBENZENE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Glyphosate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Endothall
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Diquat
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Dinoseb
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Dalapon
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Benzo(a)pyrene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
BHC-GAMMA
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Methoxychlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
2,4,5-TP
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Toxaphene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Pentachlorophenol
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Heptachlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Heptachlor epoxide
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Endrin
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
2,4-D
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Chlordane
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Carbofuran
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Atrazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
LASSO
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
Full record since 1981
EPA's records for North Adams Water Dept go back to 1981. Before October 19, 2016 they list 4 health-based violations (3 resolved, 1 archived by EPA without a recorded fix) and 154 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 2 |
| 1990s | 1 | 88 |
| 2000s | 1 | 32 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 2 | 32 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 1 | 30 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule, began January 2014, Resolved.
Show all 4 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 2014 | Resolved |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Dec 1, 2012 | Resolved |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Nov 1, 2008 | Archived |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 1992 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
Massachusetts regulators took 11 formal enforcement actions against North Adams Water Dept and issued 1 ban on new connections between 1995 and 2018, filed as 13 records in EPA's data. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in May 2018.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2018 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 30 violations: ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE, Toxaphene, 2,4,5-TP, BHC-GAMMA, 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE |
| Sep 28, 2017 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Surface Water Treatment Rule |
| May 1, 2017 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Stage 1 Disinfection Byproducts Rule |
| Nov 16, 2015 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 30 violations: LASSO, Carbofuran, Chlordane, 2,4-D, Endrin |
| Aug 12, 2009 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 30 violations: Pentachlorophenol, Toxaphene, 2,4,5-TP, Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB), Dalapon |
| Dec 5, 2008 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 2 violations (1 health-based): Total Coliform |
| Oct 1, 2007 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Total Coliform |
| Oct 3, 2001 | Massachusetts | Ban on new connections or service extensions | 1 violation |
| Feb 5, 1999 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 33 violations: Endrin, BHC-GAMMA, Methoxychlor, Diquat, Endothall |
| Feb 21, 1996 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 22 violations: Nitrate, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, Vinyl chloride, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane |
| Feb 16, 1996 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 21 violations: 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, Vinyl chloride, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Carbon tetrachloride |
| Oct 12, 1995 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 33 violations: Endrin, Methoxychlor, Dalapon, Glyphosate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate |
What the violations mean
Stage 1 Disinfection Byproducts Rule
1 incidentThe system did not meet a treatment requirement of the Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
Byproducts form when disinfectants react with natural material in water. Long-term exposure above federal limits may increase cancer risk
Surface Water Treatment Rule
1 incidentThe system did not complete a treatment step or action that the Surface Water Treatment Rule requires (a treatment technique violation).
The utility had to notify customers about this violation.
Where the water comes from
North Adams Water Dept draws water from 1 well and 2 surface water intakes. 1 smaller public system such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buys water from North Adams Water Dept.
Annual water quality report
North Adams Water Dept must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Massachusetts.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells