Public water system record
Merrimac Water Department
Serves an area of Essex County, MA · 7,193 people served
Federal records show no health-based violations and 31 monitoring/reporting issues for Merrimac Water Department in the last ten years. At least one of these issues remains unresolved.
System profile
Source water
Groundwater
ZIP
01860
EPA system ID
MA3180000
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 0
- Resolved
- 0
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 31
Key facts
- Merrimac Water Department draws water from 4 wells (2 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by Massachusetts, January 2022.
- Record on file since 1979, with 11 health-based violations before October 20, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 28 unknown out of 1,978 service lines.
Check whether Merrimac Water Department 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.
None since October 2016.
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jun 1, 2021 |
Active
Enforcement action in place
|
|
2,3,7,8-TCDD
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Simazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Picloram
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
OXAMYL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
HEXACHLOROBENZENE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Glyphosate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Endothall
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Diquat
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Dinoseb
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Dalapon
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Benzo(a)pyrene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
BHC-GAMMA
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Methoxychlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
2,4,5-TP
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Toxaphene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Pentachlorophenol
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Heptachlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Heptachlor epoxide
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Endrin
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
2,4-D
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Chlordane
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Carbofuran
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
Atrazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
|
LASSO
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2019 |
Archived
Violation period ended. EPA no longer counts it toward current compliance, but no fix was formally recorded.
|
Full record since 1979
EPA's records for Merrimac Water Department go back to 1979. Before October 20, 2016 they list 11 health-based violations (3 resolved, 8 archived by EPA without a recorded fix) and 165 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 1 |
| 1990s | 8 | 34 |
| 2000s | 3 | 76 |
| 2010 to October 19, 2016 | 0 | 54 |
| October 20, 2016 to 2019 | 0 | 30 |
| 2020s | 0 | 1 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 20, 2016: Total Coliform, began October 2004, Archived.
Show all 11 health-based violations before October 20, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Oct 1, 2004 | Archived |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Nov 1, 2002 | Archived |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Oct 1, 2001 | Archived |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Sep 1, 1999 | Archived |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Aug 1, 1999 | Archived |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 1997 | Resolved |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Nov 1, 1996 | Archived |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
May 1, 1995 | Archived |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Aug 1, 1994 | Archived |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 1994 | Resolved |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 1993 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
Massachusetts regulators took 12 formal enforcement actions against Merrimac Water Department between 1999 and 2022. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in January 2022.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 2022 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Lead and Copper Rule |
| May 1, 2019 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 30 violations: Diquat, Glyphosate, HEXACHLOROBENZENE, OXAMYL, Picloram |
| Jun 21, 2016 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Lead and Copper Rule |
| Nov 5, 2010 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 21 violations: Carbon tetrachloride, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, Trichloroethylene, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Vinyl chloride |
| Apr 29, 2008 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Total Coliform |
| Oct 23, 2007 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 53 violations: ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE, Heptachlor epoxide, Heptachlor, Methoxychlor, BHC-GAMMA |
| Jan 30, 2006 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation: Lead and Copper Rule |
| Dec 31, 2004 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Total Coliform |
| Dec 16, 2002 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Total Coliform |
| Nov 30, 2001 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Total Coliform |
| Feb 2, 2001 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 21 violations: 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, Styrene, o-Dichlorobenzene, p-Dichlorobenzene |
| Feb 2, 1999 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Lead and Copper Rule |
Where the water comes from
Merrimac Water Department draws water from 4 wells (2 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
Annual water quality report
Merrimac Water Department 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.
Where the state allows it, systems serving fewer than 10,000 people may publish the report in a local newspaper or news site instead of mailing it, and must provide a copy on request.
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