Community Water System · PWS MA3305000
Wakefield Water Dept
Operator location Wakefield, Massachusetts - 23% of 113 violations are health-based (upper-third health share (> 23%)); surface water source; 27,090 served per SDWIS.
- 27,090
- People served (this PWS)
- 113
- EPA violations (this PWS)
- 26
- Health-based (this PWS)
- 3 PFAS
- UCMR5 (this PWS)
Wakefield Water Dept standing, high SDWIS violation third
23% of 113 recorded violations are health-based - upper-third health share (> 23%). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 23% is upper-third health share (> 23%). UCMR5: middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds). Population rank #2,052 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.
The verdict
Wakefield Water Dept sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (113), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is large (27,090; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 23% - most of this ledger is MCL or treatment-technique exceedance. UCMR5 detected 3 PFAS compounds (middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds)).
- #2,052 of 29,740
- Population · /systems
- #92 of 418
- Population · MA
- 113
- Total EPA violations on record
- 23%
- 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
- 8,557
- County
- Middlesex
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 4
- Monitoring Violations
- 78
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 22
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule | TT | 20 | 2003 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 4 | 1997 |
| Nitrate | MR | 3 | 2011 |
| Barium | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Beryllium, Total | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| CYANIDE | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Radium-226 | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Benzene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Trichloroethylene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Vinyl chloride | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Ethylbenzene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Styrene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Xylenes, Total | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Arsenic | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Mercury | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | TT | 2 | 1992 |
| Toluene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Chromium | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Nickel | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| Cadmium | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| TTHM | MR | 2 | 2011 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 2 | 2011 |
Violation Count vs. the National Corpus
Wakefield Water Dept has 113 recorded EPA violations, 76% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 24% carry more. 23% of this system's own violations are health-based (26 of 113), and it ranks #2,052 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)
113 Higher than most more violations than 76% 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. 4 of 173 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFEESA | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 7/21/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 7/21/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 7/21/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 7/21/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 7/21/2025 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 7/21/2025 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 7/21/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 7/21/2025 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 7/21/2025 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 7/21/2025 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 7/21/2025 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 7/21/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 7/21/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 7/21/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 7/21/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 7/21/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 7/21/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 7/21/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 4/16/2025 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 4/16/2025 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 4/16/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 4/16/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 4/16/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 4/16/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 4/16/2025 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 4/16/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 4/16/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 4/16/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 4/16/2025 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 4/16/2025 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
Health-based violations on Wakefield Water Dept
26 health-based rows in the tables above map to MCL or treatment-technique exceedances, verify each contaminant code on the federal SDWIS report for MA3305000.
Sources: EPA SDWIS · MassDEP, Drinking Water Program
Nationwide peers
113 violations · 27,090 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.
Cross-state systems with similar served population
Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).
What to do with Wakefield Water Dept
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.