Is Hillcrest Water District water safe to drink?

Hillcrest Water District (PWS ID: MA2151002) has 191 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. EPA SDWIS lists this system's service population as 1,500 people using Surface Water sources.

How many people does Hillcrest Water District serve?

EPA SDWIS reports that Hillcrest Water District serves 1,500 people (this public water system's service population, not the municipal population of Leicester or any other city). It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 393 service connections. The operator address is listed in Leicester, Massachusetts.

What type of violations does Hillcrest Water District have?

Hillcrest Water District has 191 total violations: 91 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 78 monitoring/reporting violations, and 4 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.

Has PFAS been detected in Hillcrest Water District water?

No PFAS testing data is available for Hillcrest Water District under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

What water source does Hillcrest Water District use?

Hillcrest Water District 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.

Where does Hillcrest Water District sit among U.S. public water systems?

According to EPA SDWIS population_served among sitemap-advertised systems (serving 500+), Hillcrest Water District ranks #15,921 of 29,740 by people served, and #305 of 418 in Massachusetts. Ordinals use population_served DESC among systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). See /methodology#corpus-placement.

How does Hillcrest Water District's violation count compare nationally?

Hillcrest Water District has 191 recorded EPA SDWIS violations, fewer than 15% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500 or more people nationwide (the same sitemap cohort used for the corpus-placement ranking above). 85% of that cohort has fewer violations than Hillcrest Water District. A system can have zero recorded violations and still be actively monitored, and a high violation count often reflects a system that reports thoroughly, not necessarily one with worse water.

States → Massachusetts

Community Water System · PWS MA2151002

Hillcrest Water District

Operator location Leicester, Massachusetts - 48% of 191 violations are health-based (upper-third health share (> 23%)); surface water source; 1,500 served per SDWIS.

Compiled by PlainWater · May 15, 2026

1,500
People served (this PWS) Middle third of systems: 191
EPA violations (this PWS) Upper third of systems: 91
Health-based (this PWS) Upper third by health-based share: Untested
UCMR5 (this PWS) No UCMR5 result

Follow published updates (RSS)

Hillcrest Water District standing, high SDWIS violation third

48% of 191 recorded violations are health-based - upper-third health share (> 23%). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 48% is upper-third health share (> 23%). Population rank #15,921 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.

The verdict

Hillcrest Water District sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (191), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is mid-pack at 1,500 (mid served population (≤ 3,309)). Health-based share is 48% - most of this ledger is MCL or treatment-technique exceedance. No UCMR5 PFAS test appears for this system in this extract.

#15,921 of 29,740
Population · /systems: #305 of 418
Population · MA: 191
Total EPA violations on record: 48%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)

Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.

Water Safety Score

6/100

Hillcrest Water District

Based on EPA SDWIS violation history and UCMR5 PFAS testing only, not water taste, odor, infrastructure age, or contaminants outside the federally tracked set.

Health-based violations F

EPA SDWIS health-based violations on record (MCL, MRDL, treatment technique)

Monitoring & reporting violations F

100

Non-health SDWIS violations (monitoring, reporting, and other compliance)

PFAS contamination N/A

Not UCMR5-tested

Highest PFAS compound level detected in UCMR5 testing

System Details

System Type: Community
Owner Type: Local
Connections: 393
County: Worcester
School/Daycare: No
MCL Violations: 87
Monitoring Violations: 78
Treatment Tech Violations: 4

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant	Category	Count	Latest
Combined Uranium	MCL	35	2008
Arsenic	MCL	25	2009
Coliform (TCR)	MCL	21	2014
Coliform (TCR)	MR	16	2014
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U	MCL	6	2006
Consumer Confidence Rule	Other	4	2012
Surface Water Treatment Rule	TT	4	2009
Carbon tetrachloride	MR	2	2011
1,2-Dichloroethane	MR	2	2011
Trichloroethylene	MR	2	2011
1,1,1-Trichloroethane	MR	2	2011
Vinyl chloride	MR	2	2011
o-Dichlorobenzene	MR	2	2011
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene	MR	2	2011
Ethylbenzene	MR	2	2011
Toluene	MR	2	2011
Xylenes, Total	MR	2	2011
1,1,2-Trichloroethane	MR	2	2011
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene	MR	2	2011
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	MR	2	2014
Lead and Copper Rule	MR	2	2014
1,2-Dichloropropane	MR	2	2011
Styrene	MR	2	2011
p-Dichlorobenzene	MR	2	2011
Tetrachloroethylene	MR	2	2011
1,1-Dichloroethylene	MR	2	2011
CHLOROBENZENE	MR	2	2011
TTHM	MR	2	2014
DICHLOROMETHANE	MR	2	2011
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene	MR	2	2011

Violation Count vs. the National Corpus

Hillcrest Water District has 191 recorded EPA violations, 85% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 15% carry more. 48% of this system's own violations are health-based (91 of 191), and it ranks #15,921 of 29,740 by population served among that same cohort.

EPA violations vs. the national water-system corpus

Public water systems serving 500+ people (EPA SDWIS)

191 Higher than most more violations than 85% of 29,740 water systems

the national water-system corpus, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more water systems. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source EPA SDWIS · 2026-05-15

How many violations vs. how serious, among peer systems

Hillcrest Water District plotted against 29 peer public water systems (500+ people served), by total violation count (x) and the share of those violations that are health-based (y). The crosshair sits at this sample's own median on each axis. A high violation count does not automatically mean a serious record: most monitoring and reporting violations are minor, not health-based.

30 public water systems (500+ people served), EPA SDWIS current release.

How to read this

Each dot is one public water system; the highlighted dot is Hillcrest Water District. A system to the right has more recorded violations; a system higher up has a larger share of those violations classified health-based rather than monitoring or reporting.

Rare but serious: few violations, but most of them are health-based.
Frequent, mostly paperwork: many violations, but mostly monitoring or reporting, not health-based.
Clean record: below-median on both counts, the tinted corner.

View all 30 systems as a list

City of Ballinger: 372 violations, 85% health-based
Hillcrest Water District: 191 violations, 48% health-based (this system)
Nooksack Valley Water Association: 16 violations, 31% health-based
Montgomery Co RWD 12: 7 violations, 29% health-based
Irvin Water District #6: 11 violations, 27% health-based
Ticonderoga WD: 47 violations, 26% health-based
Pine Valley Plantation: 37 violations, 24% health-based
McLouth, City Of: 29 violations, 17% health-based
Kipling Oaks 1: 25 violations, 16% health-based
South Deerfield Water Supply District: 96 violations, 16% health-based
Sunset Ridge Water District: 82 violations, 15% health-based
Orange Water Dept: 136 violations, 14% health-based
Mount Pleasant Water Sys #1: 167 violations, 11% health-based
Lake Gibson Estates: 42 violations, 2% health-based
Benson Culinary Improvement District: 212 violations, 1% health-based
Conemaugh Twp Muni Auth: 567 violations, 1% health-based
Miccosukee Service Plaza: 0 violations, 0% health-based
Brazoria - Fort Bend Counties MUD 3: 0 violations, 0% health-based
Tanglewilde Thompson Place 600: 2 violations, 0% health-based
Center Water Co: 5 violations, 0% health-based
Spring Mills Elem School/Hvs: 9 violations, 0% health-based
Great Bend Industrial Park: 14 violations, 0% health-based
Glen Park Village: 19 violations, 0% health-based
Camp Is-Sho-Da: 22 violations, 0% health-based
Hamilton: 33 violations, 0% health-based
Town of Welaka: 54 violations, 0% health-based
Township of Blairstown Dpw: 61 violations, 0% health-based
McIntosh Water & Fire Pro Authority: 71 violations, 0% health-based
Clarkdale Municipal Water System: 114 violations, 0% health-based
Eureka Water Association: 273 violations, 0% health-based

Health-based violations on Hillcrest Water District

91 health-based rows in the tables above map to MCL or treatment-technique exceedances, verify each contaminant code on the federal SDWIS report for MA2151002.

EPA SDWIS · PWS MA2151002 MA primacy agency

Sources: EPA SDWIS · MassDEP, Drinking Water Program

Nationwide peers

191 violations · 1,500 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.

Cross-state systems with comparable violation load

Nearest cross-state community systems (500+ served) by total SDWIS violations on record.

4 peers

Cross-state systems near this population served

Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).

4 peers

What to do with Hillcrest Water District

Use this system's EPA-reported record as a starting filter, not a final verdict.

See how every tracked system in Massachusetts compares on the same EPA violation measures. Massachusetts systems
Check whether PFAS was detected at this system under UCMR5 testing. PFAS guide
Find and compare another public water system by name or PWSID. Search systems

EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 figures are informational only, not a substitute for a certified lab test of your own tap water.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater

Compiled by PlainWater, Drinking Water Quality Editorial Process · May 15, 2026

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