Community Water System · PWS MA3049000
Cambridge Water Department
Operator location Cambridge, Massachusetts - larger served population (> 3,309) at 118,214 people served; 70 SDWIS violations on record from surface water sources.
- 118,214
- People served (this PWS)
- 70
- EPA violations (this PWS)
- 2
- Health-based (this PWS)
- 3 PFAS
- UCMR5 (this PWS)
Cambridge Water Department standing, mid SDWIS violation third
118,214 people served (SDWIS) - larger served population (> 3,309). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 3% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). UCMR5: middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds). Population rank #388 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.
The verdict
Cambridge Water Department lands in the middle third by violation volume (70), large enough for peer comparisons without matching the fleet's heaviest ledgers. Population served is large (118,214; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 3% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). UCMR5 detected 3 PFAS compounds (middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds)).
- #388 of 29,740
- Population · /systems
- #5 of 418
- Population · MA
- 70
- Total EPA violations on record
- 3%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.
3 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 15,063
- County
- Middlesex
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 1
- Monitoring Violations
- 63
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 1
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heptachlor | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Pentachlorophenol | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Toxaphene | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| 2,4,5-TP | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| BHC-GAMMA | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Dalapon | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Dinoseb | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Glyphosate | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| HEXACHLOROBENZENE | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Hexachlorocyclopentadiene | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| OXAMYL | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Picloram | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Carbofuran | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Chlordane | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| 2,4-D | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Methoxychlor | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Simazine | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Atrazine | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Heptachlor epoxide | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 2 | 2017 |
| Endrin | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| 2,3,7,8-TCDD | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Endothall | MR | 2 | 2019 |
| Diquat | MR | 2 | 2019 |
Violation Count vs. the National Corpus
Cambridge Water Department has 70 recorded EPA violations, 65% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 35% carry more. 3% of this system's own violations are health-based (2 of 70), and it ranks #388 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)
70 Around the middle fewer violations than 35% 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
PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)
Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 5 of 116 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 9/13/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 9/13/2023 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 9/13/2023 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 9/13/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 9/13/2023 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 9/13/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 9/13/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 9/13/2023 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 9/13/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 9/13/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 9/13/2023 | 3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFHpS | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 9/13/2023 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 9/13/2023 | 3.50 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFMPA | 9/13/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 9/13/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 9/13/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 9/13/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 9/13/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 9/13/2023 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 9/13/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 6/12/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 6/12/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 6/12/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 6/12/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 6/12/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 6/12/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 6/12/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 6/12/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 6/12/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 6/12/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 6/12/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 6/12/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 6/12/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 6/12/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 6/12/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 6/12/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 6/12/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 6/12/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 6/12/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 6/12/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 6/12/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
Population served record for Cambridge Water Department
EPA SDWIS lists 118,214 people served and 15,063 connections for this PWS, confirm the service-area footprint on the federal report before comparing to municipal census totals.
Sources: EPA SDWIS · MassDEP, Drinking Water Program
Nationwide peers
70 violations · 118,214 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.
Cross-state systems near this violation count
Nearest cross-state community systems (500+ served) by total SDWIS violations on record.
Cross-state systems with similar served population
Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).
What to do with Cambridge Water Department
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.