Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS MA3301023

Mit Haystack Observatory

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 40 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

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

40
People served: 154
EPA violations: 0
Health-based: Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 154 drinking-water violations at Mit Haystack Observatory - above the Massachusetts per-system average.

154
Total EPA violations on record: 0%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure): 40
People served by this system: N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Mit Haystack Observatory

Mit Haystack Observatory is a private-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 40 residents in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Middlesex County) through 1 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 154 total violations for this system , of which 0 (0%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 148 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2008.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 6 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%).

Mit Haystack Observatory's 154 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

Total Violations

154

Health-Based Violations

Water Source

Groundwater

System Details

System Type: Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type: Private
Connections: 1
County: Middlesex
School/Daycare: No
MCL Violations: 0
Monitoring Violations: 148
Treatment Tech Violations: 0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant	Category	Count	Latest
Lead and Copper Rule	MR	6	2008
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene	MR	5	2001
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene	MR	5	2001
DICHLOROMETHANE	MR	5	2001
Vinyl chloride	MR	5	2001
1,1,1-Trichloroethane	MR	5	2001
1,2-Dichloropropane	MR	5	2001
Trichloroethylene	MR	5	2001
1,1,2-Trichloroethane	MR	5	2001
Tetrachloroethylene	MR	5	2001
CHLOROBENZENE	MR	5	2001
Toluene	MR	5	2001
Ethylbenzene	MR	5	2001
Xylenes, Total	MR	5	2001
p-Dichlorobenzene	MR	5	2001
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene	MR	5	2001
Benzene	MR	5	2001
Styrene	MR	5	2001
o-Dichlorobenzene	MR	5	2001
1,1-Dichloroethylene	MR	5	2001
1,2-Dichloroethane	MR	5	2001
Carbon tetrachloride	MR	5	2001
Coliform (TCR)	MR	2	2008
Methoxychlor	MR	1	1997
Toxaphene	MR	1	1997
Dalapon	MR	1	1997
Diquat	MR	1	1997
Glyphosate	MR	1	1997
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate	MR	1	1997
Simazine	MR	1	1997

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 Mit Haystack Observatory.

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 MA3301023 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 Mit Haystack Observatory 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
2008	Lead and Copper Rule	MR	6	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 5000
2008	Coliform (TCR)	MR	2	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 3100
2001	1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2378
2001	cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2380
2001	DICHLOROMETHANE	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2964
2001	Vinyl chloride	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2976
2001	1,1,1-Trichloroethane	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2981
2001	1,2-Dichloropropane	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2983
2001	Trichloroethylene	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2984
2001	1,1,2-Trichloroethane	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2985
2001	Tetrachloroethylene	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2987
2001	CHLOROBENZENE	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2989
2001	Toluene	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2991
2001	Ethylbenzene	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2992
2001	Xylenes, Total	MR	5	SDWIS / MA3301023 / 2955

How Mit Haystack Observatory Compares

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

Metric	Mit Haystack Observatory	Massachusetts avg	Federal benchmark
Total violations	154	46.2	SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations	0	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	40	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 Mit Haystack Observatory water safe to drink? ▼

Mit Haystack Observatory (PWS ID: MA3301023) has 154 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 40 people using Groundwater sources.

How many people does Mit Haystack Observatory serve? ▼

Mit Haystack Observatory serves 40 people in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 1 service connections.

What type of violations does Mit Haystack Observatory have? ▼

Mit Haystack Observatory has 154 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 148 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.

Has PFAS been detected in Mit Haystack Observatory water? ▼

No PFAS testing data is available for Mit Haystack Observatory under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

What water source does Mit Haystack Observatory use? ▼

Mit Haystack Observatory uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Non-Transient Non-Community Water System, serving the same people for at least 6 months per year.

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.