Is Northampton, MA tap water safe?
The short answer
Neither of the 2 utilities serving Northampton has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Massachusetts’s records.
Northampton Water Division, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.6 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Northampton Water Division is soft to moderately hard depending on the source, 21 to 64 mg/L (1.2 to 3.7 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 Northampton’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Northampton Water Division
Massachusetts · serves 29,571 people · nearly all in Northampton
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.6 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft to moderately hard depending on the source, 21 to 64 mg/L (1.2 to 3.7 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Linda Manor Nursing Home
Massachusetts · serves 120 people · under 100 in Northampton
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.5 ppb, above the health goal.
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 Northampton Water Division’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 Northampton
The 3 labs Massachusetts certifies closest to Northampton, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Howard Laboratories LLC
South Deerfield, MA · about 10 miles
Certified for bacteria
Quabbin Analytical Laboratory
Belchertown, MA · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria
Vallid Labs Inc.
Agawam, MA · about 19 miles
Certified for bacteria
Which ZIP codes are in Northampton: 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 Northampton
Other towns in Hampshire County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Northampton Water Division’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