TapBuff
ZIP
Menu

Hanscom AFBWater quality report

Serves
11,789
Connections
203
Water source
Surface water bought from another system
Based in
Bedford, MA
County
Middlesex
Owner
Federal government
The 3 ZIP codes it serves

01730, 01731, 02421

PWSID MA3023002 · EPA data

Read this first

Nothing in the federal data for this utility is above a health goal. That covers PFAS, lithium, lead and copper; it does not cover everything, so read what this report cannot tell you below.

1 health-based violation since 2016. Details are below.

What was found, stop by stop

  • Below the health goal
  • Above the health goal
  • Above the legal limit
  • No federal data

  1. At the source

    EPA UCMR 5 sampled this utility for 29 PFAS and lithium from March 7, 2023 to Dec. 6, 2023. None was found above EPA’s reporting levels.

  2. In treatment

    No federal results for this stop. Disinfection byproduct, chlorine and fluoride levels are in Hanscom AFB’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.

  3. In the pipes

    No lead and copper results on file with EPA for this utility.

  4. At your tap

    The last stretch is your own plumbing. A certified lab test is the only way to know what reaches your glass. Lead in your water: what to do

Tested and not found

Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from March 7, 2023 to Dec. 6, 2023. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

All 30 compounds tested and not found
  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • Lithium
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFBA
  • PFBS
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxA
  • PFHxS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFOA
  • PFOS
  • PFPeA
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
Revised Total Coliform RuleColiform or E. coli results required a detailed review of the system, and it or its fixes were not done on time.EPA: Treatment Technique, Level 2 Assessment (RTCR)Oct. 1, 2019—Resolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 2 monitoring or reporting violations not shown.

What this report cannot tell you

  • Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in Hanscom AFB’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
  • Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
  • Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from March 7, 2023 to Dec. 6, 2023.

Other Massachusetts utilities

All Massachusetts utilities

Sources

What to do next

  1. Every contaminant TapBuff tracks

    Nothing here is above a health goal in the federal data, which does not cover everything.

  2. Read the utility’s own report

    Hanscom AFB must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.

  3. Test your own tap for lead

    Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.

  4. NSF/ANSI standards, decoded

    A filter for taste or chlorine is a preference, not a need. The standards say what each kind can do.