Public water system record
MWRA
On record as serving Suffolk County, MA · Serves 2,660,000 people
Federal records show no health-based violations and no monitoring or reporting issues for MWRA in the last ten years.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 0
- Resolved
- 0
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 0
Key facts
- MWRA draws water from 6 surface water intakes (3 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by Massachusetts, July 2001.
- Record on file since 1992, with 1 health-based violation before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 0 unknown out of 34 service lines.
Check whether MWRA 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, and no monitoring or reporting violations either.
Full record since 1992
EPA's records for MWRA go back to 1992. Before October 19, 2016 they list 1 health-based violation (1 archived by EPA without a recorded fix) and 2 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1 | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 | 2 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule, began January 1992, Archived.
Show the health-based violation before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 1992 | Archived |
Enforcement actions
Massachusetts regulators took 2 formal enforcement actions against MWRA between 1993 and 2001. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in July 2001.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12, 2001 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 2 violations: Simazine, Atrazine |
| Jun 29, 1993 | Massachusetts | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Surface Water Treatment Rule |
Where the water comes from
MWRA draws water from 6 surface water intakes (3 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use). 50 other community water systems and 1 smaller public system such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from MWRA. 3 other public water systems have emergency connections to MWRA.
Community systems that buy water from it
- Arlington Water Dept. (MWRA) Arlington, MA
- Bedford VA Hospital (Rogers Mem. Hosp.) Bedford, MA
- Belmont Water Dept. (MWRA) Belmont, MA
- Boston Water and Sewer Commission (MWRA) Boston, MA
- Brookline Water and Sewer Division Brookline, MA
- Burlington Water Dept Burlington, MA
- Cambridge Water Department Cambridge, MA
- Canton Water Dept Canton, MA
- Chelsea Water Dept. (MWRA) Chelsea, MA
- Chicopee Water Dept (MWRA) Chicopee, MA
- Dedham Westwood Water Dist. Dedham, MA
- Everett Water Dept. (MWRA) Everett, MA
- Framingham Water Dept. (MWRA) Framingham, MA
- Hanscom AFB Bedford, MA
- Lexington Water Dept. (MWRA) Lexington, MA
- Lynn Water and Sewer Comm Lynn, MA
- Lynnfield Center Water District Lynnfield, MA
- Lynnfield Water Dist. (MWRA) Lynnfield, MA
- Malden Water Division (MWRA) Malden, MA
- Marblehead Water Dept. (MWRA) Marblehead, MA
- Marlborough DPW Water Div. (MWRA) Marlborough, MA
- Medford Water Dept. (MWRA) Medford, MA
- Melrose Water Division (MWRA) Melrose, MA
- Milton Water Dept. (MWRA) Milton, MA
- Nahant Water Dept. (MWRA) Nahant, MA
- Needham Water Dept Needham, MA
- Newton Water Dept. (MWRA) Newton, MA
- Northborough Water Department (MWRA) Northborough, MA
- Norwood Water Dept. (MWRA) Norwood, MA
- Peabody Water Dept. West Peabody, MA
- Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) Quincy, MA
- Reading Water Department (MWRA) Reading, MA
- Revere Water Division (MWRA) Revere, MA
- Saugus Water Dept. (MWRA) Saugus, MA
- Somerville Water Dept. (MWRA) Somerville, MA
- South Hadley FD #1 (MWRA) South Hadley, MA
- Southborough DPW Water Division (MWRA) Southborough, MA
- Stoneham Water Dept (MWRA Supply) Stoneham, MA
- Stoughton Water Department Stoughton, MA
- Swampscott Water Dept. (MWRA) Swampscott, MA
- Wakefield Water Dept Wakefield, MA
- Waltham Water Department Waltham, MA
- Watertown Water Dept. (MWRA) Watertown, MA
- Wellesley Water Division Wellesley, MA
- Weston Water Dept. Weston, MA
- Wilbraham Water Dept (MWRA) Wilbraham, MA
- Wilmington Water Dept Wilmington, MA
- Winchester Water Dept Winchester, MA
- Winthrop Water Division, (MWRA) Winthrop, MA
- Woburn Water Dept. Woburn, MA
Annual water quality report
MWRA 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