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Community Water System · PWS MA4261024

Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative

Sandwich, Massachusetts 02563 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 56,250 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

56,250
People served
23
EPA violations
2
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 23 drinking-water violations at Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative, 9% of them health-based - below the Massachusetts per-system average.

23
Total EPA violations on record
9%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
56,250
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative

Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 56,250 residents in Sandwich, Massachusetts (Barnstable County) through 6 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 23 total violations for this system , of which 2 (9%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 21 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 Coliform (TCR), recorded in 2 violations (MCL, health-based). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.

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, 148 of 263 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (56.3%).

Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative's 23 violations sit below 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
56,250
Total Violations
23
Health-Based Violations
2
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
6
County
Barnstable
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
2
Monitoring Violations
21
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 2 2008
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 1 2002
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 1 2002
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 1 2002
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 1 2002
Carbon tetrachloride MR 1 2002
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 1 2002
Trichloroethylene MR 1 2002
CHLOROBENZENE MR 1 2002
Benzene MR 1 2002
Styrene MR 1 2002
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 1 2002
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 1 2002
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 1 2002
Tetrachloroethylene MR 1 2002
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 1 2002
Vinyl chloride MR 1 2002
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 1 2002
Xylenes, Total MR 1 2002
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 1 2002
Toluene MR 1 2002
Ethylbenzene MR 1 2002

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 145 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFHpA 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 6/9/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 6/9/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 6/9/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 6/9/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 6/9/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 6/9/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 6/9/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 6/9/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 6/9/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 6/9/2025 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 6/9/2025 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 6/9/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 6/9/2025 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 6/9/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 6/2/2025 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 6/2/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 6/2/2025 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 6/2/2025 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 6/2/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 6/2/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 6/2/2025 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 6/2/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 6/2/2025 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 6/2/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 6/2/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 6/2/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 6/2/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 6/2/2025 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 6/2/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 6/2/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 6/2/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 6/2/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 6/2/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 6/2/2025 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 6/2/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 6/2/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 6/2/2025 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 6/2/2025 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 6/2/2025 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected

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 Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative.

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 MA4261024 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 Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative 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 Coliform (TCR) MCL 2 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 3100
2002 o-Dichlorobenzene MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2968
2002 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2969
2002 1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2977
2002 1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2981
2002 Carbon tetrachloride MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2982
2002 1,2-Dichloropropane MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2983
2002 Trichloroethylene MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2984
2002 CHLOROBENZENE MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2989
2002 Benzene MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2990
2002 Styrene MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2996
2002 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2380
2002 DICHLOROMETHANE MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2964
2002 1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2985
2002 Tetrachloroethylene MR 1 SDWIS / MA4261024 / 2987

How Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative Compares

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

Metric Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative Massachusetts avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 23 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 56.3% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 56,250 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 Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative water safe to drink?
Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative (PWS ID: MA4261024) has 23 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 56,250 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative serve?
Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative serves 56,250 people in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 6 service connections.
What type of violations does Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative have?
Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative has 23 total violations: 2 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 21 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative water?
No. Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative use?
Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative 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. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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.