PFAS above EPA’s limits in Massachusetts.
75 utilities of the 258 EPA tested in Massachusetts had a sampling location whose PFAS average was above a 2024 limit in its final UCMR 5 data, by EPA’s own method.
The short answer
75 utilities serving 1.3 million people, as they report it, had a location averaging above a limit, most often PFOA (67) and PFOS (42). The largest is Peabody Water Dept., whose highest PFOA average was 6.4 ppt, 1.6 times the limit. The furthest above is Raynham Center Water District, at 12 times the PFOA limit.
These are EPA’s survey results, not violations: the limits take effect April 26, 2029, and compliance will rest on each utility’s own monitoring. EPA has proposed changes to the rule; as of Oct. 13, 2026, none is final.
Utilities above a limit
Largest first. Each one’s highest location average is for the limit it is furthest above, with the single highest sample of the same PFAS; its report has every result.
| Utility | Based in | Serves | Above | Highest location average | Highest single sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peabody Water Dept. | Peabody | 54,481 | PFOA | PFOA 6.4 ppt1.6 times the limit | 7.0 ppt |
| Centerville Osterville Marstons Mills WD | Barnstable | 50,000 | PFOA | PFOA 4.8 ppt1.2 times the limit | 4.9 ppt |
| Attleboro Water Dept | Attleboro | 46,461 | PFOS | PFOS 4.7 ppt1.2 times the limit | 12 ppt |
| Dedham Westwood Water Dist. | Dedham | 41,630 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 6.3 ppt1.6 times the limit | 6.5 ppt |
| Woburn Water Dept. | Woburn | 40,876 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 7.2 ppt1.8 times the limit | 8.4 ppt |
| Braintree Water and Sewer Dept. | Braintree | 39,143 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 7.6 ppt1.9 times the limit | 8.5 ppt |
| Natick Water and Sewer Division | Natick | 37,006 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 32 ppt8.1 times the limit | 37 ppt |
| Randolph Water Department | Randolph | 35,114 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 11 ppt2.8 times the limit | 13 ppt |
| Marshfield Water Department | Marshfield | 34,000 | PFOA | PFOA 6.9 ppt1.7 times the limit | 7.0 ppt |
| Franklin Water Department | Franklin | 33,706 | PFOA | PFOA 4.4 ppt1.1 times the limit | 4.7 ppt |
| Abington/Rockland Joint WTR. Works | Abington | 33,387 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 12 ppt2.9 times the limit | 12 ppt |
| Needham Water Dept | Needham | 31,664 | PFOA | PFOA 4.3 ppt1.07 times the limit | 4.6 ppt |
| North Attleboro Water Dept | North Attleborough | 31,410 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 8.5 ppt2.1 times the limit | 9.0 ppt |
| Milford Water Department | Milford | 30,379 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 6.6 ppt1.6 times the limit | 7.1 ppt |
| Wellesley Water Division | Wellesley | 29,550 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 6.5 ppt1.6 times the limit | 6.6 ppt |
| Stoughton Water Department | Stoughton | 29,281 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 7.5 ppt1.9 times the limit | 7.7 ppt |
| Chelmsford Water District | Chelmsford | 28,750 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 7.5 ppt1.9 times the limit | 8.9 ppt |
| Bridgewater Water Department | Bridgewater | 28,633 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 9.0 ppt2.3 times the limit | 9.0 ppt |
| Wakefield Water Dept | Wakefield | 27,090 | PFOA | PFOA 4.2 ppt1.04 times the limit | 6.9 ppt |
| Dracut Water Supply District | Dracut | 25,808 | PFOA | PFOA 5.4 ppt1.4 times the limit | 6.1 ppt |
| Easton Water Div | Easton | 25,058 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 8.2 ppttwice the limit | 16 ppt |
| Dartmouth Water Division | Dartmouth | 24,696 | PFOS | PFOS 25 ppt6.3 times the limit | 51 ppt |
| Canton Water Dept | Canton | 22,766 | PFOA | PFOA 5.0 ppt1.2 times the limit | 5.0 ppt |
| Acton Water Supply District | Acton | 21,285 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 12 ppt2.9 times the limit | 13 ppt |
| Scituate Water Division | Scituate | 19,297 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 5.5 ppt1.4 times the limit | 5.6 ppt |
| Norton Water Department | Norton | 19,161 | PFOA | PFOA 8.7 ppt2.2 times the limit | 8.8 ppt |
| Concord Water Dept | Concord | 18,788 | PFOA | PFOA 6.0 ppt1.5 times the limit | 6.0 ppt |
| Foxboro Water Department | Foxborough | 18,721 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 6.4 ppt1.6 times the limit | 6.7 ppt |
| Sudbury Water District | Sudbury | 18,416 | PFOA | PFOA 8.5 ppt2.1 times the limit | 9.0 ppt |
| Holden Water Division, DPW | Holden | 18,016 | PFOA | PFOA 4.2 ppt1.05 times the limit | 4.9 ppt |
| Sharon Water Dept | Sharon | 16,846 | PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, Hazard Index | PFOS 11 ppt2.8 times the limit | 15 ppt |
| Duxbury Water Department | Duxbury | 16,387 | PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, Hazard Index | PFOS 35 ppt8.7 times the limit | 35 ppt |
| Middleborough Water Supply | Middleborough | 15,350 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 9.5 ppt2.4 times the limit | 11 ppt |
| Holliston Water Department | Holliston | 15,139 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 5.9 ppt1.5 times the limit | 6.5 ppt |
| Hanover Water Dept | Hanover | 14,984 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 7.9 ppttwice the limit | 11 ppt |
| East Bridgewater Water Dept | East Bridgewater | 14,526 | PFOA | PFOA 5.0 ppt1.2 times the limit | 5.1 ppt |
| Medway Water Department | Medway | 14,176 | PFOA | PFOA 6.3 ppt1.6 times the limit | 7.2 ppt |
| Wayland Water Department | Wayland | 14,096 | PFOA | PFOA 8.5 ppt2.1 times the limit | 9.0 ppt |
| Seekonk Water District | Seekonk | 13,801 | PFOS | PFOS 4.6 ppt1.1 times the limit | 5.0 ppt |
| Ipswich Dpu Water Dept | Ipswich | 13,138 | PFOA | PFOA 6.5 ppt1.6 times the limit | 7.3 ppt |
| Medfield Water Dept. | Medfield | 12,713 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 6.9 ppt1.7 times the limit | 7.0 ppt |
| Hopkinton Water Department | Hopkinton | 12,680 | PFOA | PFOA 6.7 ppt1.7 times the limit | 7.2 ppt |
| Auburn Water District | Auburn | 12,255 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 4.5 ppt1.1 times the limit | 5.7 ppt |
| Uxbridge DPW, Water Division | Uxbridge | 11,612 | PFOS | PFOS 6.0 ppt1.5 times the limit | 6.7 ppt |
| Norwell Water Department | Norwell | 11,495 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 13 ppt3.2 times the limit | 18 ppt |
| Holbrook Public Works Dept | Holbrook | 11,405 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 9.3 ppt2.3 times the limit | 12 ppt |
| Aquarion Water Company, Millbury | Millbury | 11,368 | PFOA | PFOA 5.6 ppt1.4 times the limit | 16 ppt |
| Raynham Center Water District | Raynham | 10,964 | PFOA | PFOA 49 ppt12 times the limit | 92 ppt |
| Grafton Water District | Grafton | 10,925 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 6.5 ppt1.6 times the limit | 6.9 ppt |
| Maynard DPW, Water Division | Maynard | 10,746 | PFOA | PFOA 6.0 ppt1.5 times the limit | 7.1 ppt |
| Ware Water Dept | Ware | 10,066 | PFOS | PFOS 6.4 ppt1.6 times the limit | 7.1 ppt |
| Hanson Water Department | Hanson | 9,612 | PFOA | PFOA 5.4 ppt1.4 times the limit | 5.6 ppt |
| Pepperell DPW Water Division | Pepperell | 9,217 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 7.5 ppt1.9 times the limit | 11 ppt |
| Millis Water Dept | Millis | 9,055 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 7.3 ppt1.8 times the limit | 7.3 ppt |
| Plainville Water Department | Plainville | 8,805 | PFOS | PFOS 5.3 ppt1.3 times the limit | 5.9 ppt |
| Lynnfield Center Water District | Lynnfield | 8,525 | PFOA | PFOA 5.6 ppt1.4 times the limit | 6.1 ppt |
| Hamilton Water Dept | Hamilton | 7,674 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 10 ppt2.5 times the limit | 11 ppt |
| Norfolk Water Division | Norfolk | 7,602 | PFOA | PFOA 6.2 ppt1.6 times the limit | 7.0 ppt |
| Halifax Water Department | Halifax | 7,575 | PFOA | PFOA 6.7 ppt1.7 times the limit | 7.7 ppt |
| Cohasset Water Dept | Cohasset | 7,555 | PFOA | PFOA 4.05 ppt1.01 times the limit | 6.7 ppt |
| Merrimac Water Department | Merrimac | 6,988 | PFOA | PFOA 6.3 ppt1.6 times the limit | 6.9 ppt |
| Groveland Water Department | Groveland | 6,508 | PFOA | PFOA 6.2 ppt1.6 times the limit | 6.3 ppt |
| Rowley Water Department | Rowley | 6,161 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 7.4 ppt1.9 times the limit | 7.7 ppt |
| Templeton Munic. Light and Water Plant | Templeton | 6,159 | PFOA | PFOA 5.2 ppt1.3 times the limit | 5.2 ppt |
| Hopedale Water Department | Hopedale | 6,017 | PFOA | PFOA 5.3 ppt1.3 times the limit | 6.8 ppt |
| Lincoln Water Dept | Lincoln | 5,593 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 5.5 ppt1.4 times the limit | 6.4 ppt |
| Topsfield Water Department | Topsfield | 5,435 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 8.8 ppt2.2 times the limit | 9.0 ppt |
| Barnstable Fire District | Barnstable | 5,400 | PFOS | PFOS 4.7 ppt1.2 times the limit | 7.1 ppt |
| Onset Fire Districtwater Dept. | Wareham | 5,392 | PFOS | PFOS 6.2 ppt1.5 times the limit | 7.1 ppt |
| Manchester by the Sea DPW | Manchester | 5,201 | PFOA | PFOA 11 ppt2.7 times the limit | 12 ppt |
| Town of Avon | Avon | 4,777 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOS 5.5 ppt1.4 times the limit | 6.0 ppt |
| Shirley Water District | Shirley | 4,165 | PFOA | PFOA 6.5 ppt1.6 times the limit | 6.9 ppt |
| Wenham Water Dept. | Wenham | 3,942 | PFOA, PFOS | PFOA 6.2 ppt1.6 times the limit | 7.2 ppt |
| Boylston Water District | Boylston | 3,343 | PFOA | PFOA 5.0 ppt1.3 times the limit | 6.0 ppt |
| Haystack Estates | Westford | 60 | PFOA | PFOA 5.4 ppt1.4 times the limit | 5.6 ppt |
31 more utilities in Massachusetts had a single sample above a limit but no location average above, so they are not listed; each report shows the sample.
Results: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026, samples from Jan. 3, 2023 to June 17, 2026, averaged by sampling location as EPA’s final UCMR 5 data summary does. Every state, and the full data as a CSV; how this list is made. People served is what each utility reports.
Where to go next
- Peabody Water Dept.’s reportEvery PFAS result with its dates, and the certification claim that handles each.Open the report
- Every stateThe national list, the largest utilities above a limit, and the data to download.PFAS above EPA’s limits
- Filters certified for PFASRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.Best water filters for PFAS