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Community Water System · PWS MA1217001

East Northfield Water Co

Northfield, Massachusetts 01360 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 659 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

659
People served
52
EPA violations
1
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 52 drinking-water violations at East Northfield Water Co, 2% of them health-based - above the Massachusetts per-system average.

52
Total EPA violations on record
2%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
659
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: East Northfield Water Co

East Northfield Water Co is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 659 residents in Northfield, Massachusetts (Franklin County) through 275 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 52 total violations for this system , of which 1 (2%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 43 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2022.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Surface Water Treatment Rule, recorded in 24 violations (MR). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Massachusetts, EPA tracks 1,599 public water systems serving 10,332,845 people, with 73,886 cumulative violations and 7,389 health-based violations on record. About 95% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 46.2 violations. Statewide, 148 of 263 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (56.3%).

East Northfield Water Co's 52 violations sit above the Massachusetts average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
659
Total Violations
52
Health-Based Violations
1
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
275
County
Franklin
School/Daycare
Yes
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
43
Treatment Tech Violations
1

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 24 2012
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 8 2020
TTHM MR 5 2020
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 4 2022
Coliform (TCR) MR 4 2015
Antimony, Total MR 2 2009
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 1 2014

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for East Northfield Water Co.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID MA1217001 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Massachusetts Drinking Water Authority

MassDEP, Drinking Water Program is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects East Northfield Water Co under EPA-delegated authority.

Open MA regulator portal

Source: MassDEP, Drinking Water Program

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2022 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 4 SDWIS / MA1217001 / 7000
2020 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 8 SDWIS / MA1217001 / 2456
2020 TTHM MR 5 SDWIS / MA1217001 / 2950
2015 Coliform (TCR) MR 4 SDWIS / MA1217001 / 3100
2014 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 1 SDWIS / MA1217001 / 0200
2012 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 24 SDWIS / MA1217001 / 0200
2009 Antimony, Total MR 2 SDWIS / MA1217001 / 1074

How East Northfield Water Co Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric East Northfield Water Co Massachusetts avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 52 46.2 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 1 4.6 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 56.3% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 659 6,462 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,599 regulated public water systems in Massachusetts.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is East Northfield Water Co water safe to drink?
East Northfield Water Co (PWS ID: MA1217001) has 52 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 659 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does East Northfield Water Co serve?
East Northfield Water Co serves 659 people in Northfield, Massachusetts. It is a Private-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 275 service connections.
What type of violations does East Northfield Water Co have?
East Northfield Water Co has 52 total violations: 1 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 43 monitoring/reporting violations, and 1 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in East Northfield Water Co water?
No PFAS testing data is available for East Northfield Water Co under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does East Northfield Water Co use?
East Northfield Water Co uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.