Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra)
EPA ID: MA3035000 · 675,647 people served · 60 ZIP codes
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) carries 2 open EPA violations that remain unresolved in the federal system — approximately 675,647 people fall within its service area.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade B
Service Area Demographics
The Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) serves a community with a median household income of $110,321 and an estimated 926,994 residents across its service area. Approximately 77% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 42% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra)'s water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
About 1% of homes in Norfolk County, Massachusetts rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Consumer Confidence Report Rule at 3 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 11 detections recorded. 4 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS).
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Massachusetts
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) (EPA ID: MA3035000) is a community water system in Massachusetts that serves approximately 675,647 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 60 ZIP codes across 19 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: B (75/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| August 11, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting Failure | 3 | No |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02108 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02109 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02110 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02111 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02113 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02114 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02115 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02116 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02118 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02127 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02128 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02133 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02163 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02199 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02205 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02210 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 02215 | 0.0059 mg/L | No | N/A |
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: 39 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 21 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
This system serves 60 ZIP codes:
02026 · 02108 · 02109 · 02110 · 02111 02112 · 02113 · 02114 · 02115 · 02116 02117 · 02118 · 02119 · 02120 · 02121 02122 · 02123 · 02124 · 02125 · 02126 02127 · 02128 · 02129 · 02130 · 02131 02132 · 02133 · 02134 · 02135 · 02136 02138 · 02139 · 02151 · 02163 · 02186 02196 · 02199 · 02201 · 02203 · 02204 02205 · 02206 · 02210 · 02211 · 02212 02215 · 02216 · 02217 · 02222 · 02241 02266 · 02283 · 02284 · 02293 · 02295 02297 · 02298 · 02445 · 02446 · 02467
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) (MA3035000) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) water safe to drink?
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) has only monitoring/reporting violations, which are procedural in nature. The system meets federal health-based standards.
How many people does Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) serve?
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) serves approximately 675,647 people across 60 ZIP codes in Massachusetts.
Where does Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) / MWRA Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) / MWRA Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
Watershed protection programs are very successful and greatly reduce the actual risk of contamination.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) / MWRA Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
PFAS Substances Detected in This System
This water system's Consumer Confidence Report disclosed the following PFAS compounds. Levels are from the utility's most recent reporting cycle.
In April 2024, EPA finalized the first National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply. EPA — PFAS regulation overview →
Source: Consumer Confidence Report disclosed by Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) / MWRA.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. PFAS detection data is sourced from public Consumer Confidence Reports filed by the utility itself.
BWSC offers free inspection and replacement of private lead services through the No Cost Private Lead Replacement Incentive Program. In 2023, 387 lead replacements were made.
Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker
This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) / MWRA
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.
Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Utility-reported lead service line presence and tap-sample lead level under federal LCRI requirements:
Below federal action level (0.015 mg/L)
MassDEP reports utility-level presence flag and tap-sampling without per-line breakdown. Customers should inquire with the utility about service line material at a specific address.
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: MassDEP LCRR Service Line Inventory · Submitted 2024
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Notable events and violations
This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.
Notable events from the utility's CCR
These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.
- Six communities (Boston, Medford, Melrose, Revere, Quincy, Winthrop) exceeded the Lead Action Level in September/October 2023. Boston's 90th percentile was 21.3 ppb, above the 15 ppb AL.
ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.
How Water Systems Appear in Rankings
Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (mwra) (EPA ID: MA3035000) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.