Is Buzzards Bay, MA tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 4 utilities serving Buzzards Bay has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Massachusetts’s records: Onset Fire Districtwater Dept..
Buzzards Bay Water District, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.0 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Buzzards Bay Water District is soft, typically 16 mg/L (0.9 grains per gallon). How Massachusetts’s water compares.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Buzzards Bay’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Buzzards Bay Water District
Massachusetts · serves 7,700 people · about 750 in Buzzards Bay
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.0 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft, typically 16 mg/L (0.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Bourne Water District
Massachusetts · serves 22,500 people · about 680 in Buzzards Bay
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 4.8 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft, typically 32 mg/L (1.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Onset Fire Districtwater Dept.
Massachusetts · serves 5,392 people · about 280 in Buzzards Bay
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 7.1 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
North Sagamore Water District
Massachusetts · serves 4,668 people · about 140 in Buzzards Bay
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.0 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft, typically 21 mg/L (1.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Buzzards Bay Water District’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Water testing near Buzzards Bay
The 3 labs Massachusetts certifies closest to Buzzards Bay, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Envirotech Laboratories Inc.
Sandwich, MA · about 6 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Barnstable County Health & Env Dept
Barnstable, MA · about 15 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, PFAS
Eurofins Providence (AB)
Middleborough, MA · about 16 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
ZIP codes in Buzzards Bay
Which ZIP codes are in Buzzards Bay: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: MassDEP Online Searchable Laboratory Certification Listing, potable water; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Buzzards Bay
Other towns in Barnstable County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Buzzards Bay Water District’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water