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Community Water System · PWS MA2280002

Saint Josephs Abbey

Spencer, Massachusetts 01562 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 45 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

45
People served
211
EPA violations
2
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 211 drinking-water violations at Saint Josephs Abbey, 1% of them health-based - above the Massachusetts per-system average.

211
Total EPA violations on record
1%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
45
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Saint Josephs Abbey

Saint Josephs Abbey is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 45 residents in Spencer, Massachusetts (Worcester County) through 6 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 211 total violations for this system , of which 2 (1%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 192 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 Coliform (TCR), recorded in 16 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, 143 of 263 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (54.4%).

Saint Josephs Abbey's 211 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
45
Total Violations
211
Health-Based Violations
2
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
6
County
Worcester
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
2
Monitoring Violations
192
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 16 2014
Carbon tetrachloride MR 6 2015
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 6 2015
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 6 2015
Vinyl chloride MR 6 2015
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 6 2015
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 2015
Styrene MR 6 2015
Tetrachloroethylene MR 6 2015
Toluene MR 6 2015
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 6 2015
Xylenes, Total MR 6 2015
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 6 2015
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 6 2015
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 6 2015
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 6 2015
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 2015
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 6 2015
Lead and Copper Rule MR 6 2022
Trichloroethylene MR 6 2015
CHLOROBENZENE MR 6 2015
Ethylbenzene MR 6 2015
Benzene MR 6 2015
Radium-226 MR 5 2014
Radium-228 MR 5 2014
Nitrate MR 4 2015
Arsenic MR 3 2015
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 2002
Chlorine MR 2 2014
Gross Beta Particle Activity MR 2 1994

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 Saint Josephs Abbey.

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 MA2280002 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 Saint Josephs Abbey 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 Lead and Copper Rule MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 5000
2015 Carbon tetrachloride MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2982
2015 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2977
2015 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2981
2015 Vinyl chloride MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2976
2015 o-Dichlorobenzene MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2968
2015 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2979
2015 Styrene MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2996
2015 Tetrachloroethylene MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2987
2015 Toluene MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2991
2015 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2969
2015 Xylenes, Total MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2955
2015 DICHLOROMETHANE MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2964
2015 1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2985
2015 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 6 SDWIS / MA2280002 / 2378

How Saint Josephs Abbey Compares

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

Metric Saint Josephs Abbey Massachusetts avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 211 46.2 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 2 4.6 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 54.4% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 45 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 Saint Josephs Abbey water safe to drink? ▼
Saint Josephs Abbey (PWS ID: MA2280002) has 211 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 45 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Saint Josephs Abbey serve? ▼
Saint Josephs Abbey serves 45 people in Spencer, Massachusetts. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 6 service connections.
What type of violations does Saint Josephs Abbey have? ▼
Saint Josephs Abbey has 211 total violations: 2 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 192 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Saint Josephs Abbey water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Saint Josephs Abbey under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Saint Josephs Abbey use? ▼
Saint Josephs Abbey uses Groundwater 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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.