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Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Essex County Water Quality: 13 Cities Ranked by the Records

Essex County, Massachusetts: 13 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.

Find my systemOpen on the mapPrivate wells in Essex County
Across the county's systems

Highest result for each contaminant

One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 4 systems of 12 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest7 ng/L
LithiumDetected in 1 system of 12 tested10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest16.9 µg/L
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 2 systems of 12 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest5.2 ng/L
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 8 systems of 13 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest4.18 µg/L
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 3 systems of 12 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest3.4 ng/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 6 systems of 12 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest4.9 ng/L
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 3 systems of 12 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest6.4 ng/L
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 7 systems of 12 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest5.2 ng/L
23 PFAS tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 12 systems: ANDOVER WATER DEPT, DANVERS WATER DEPT., GLOUCESTER PUBLIC UTILITY DIVISION, HAVERHILL WATER DEPT, LAWRENCE WATER WORKS, LYNN WATER AND SEWER COMM, LYNNFIELD CENTER WATER DISTRICT, METHUEN WATER DEPT, NEWBURYPORT WATER DEPARTMENT, PEABODY WATER DEPT., ROCKPORT WATER DEPT, SALEM WATER DEPARTMENT

  • 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
  • 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
  • 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
  • Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
  • N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
  • N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
  • Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
  • Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
  • Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
  • Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
  • Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
  • Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
  • Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
  • Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
  • Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
13 cities

Cities ranked by the records

Showing 6 of 13 cities · scores are system-level, not tap tests

Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.

PFAS in Essex County5 of 13 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
  1. Danvers5.2 ng/L
  2. Newburyport4.6 ng/L
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in Massachusetts
Lead

0of 13 cities above the 15 µg/L action level

Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.

Lead in Massachusetts
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. LynnLYNN WATER AND SEWER COMM · MA3163000
    101,253 served
  2. BeverlySALEM AND BEVERLY WATER SUPPLY BOARD · MA3030001
    90,330 served
  3. LawrenceLAWRENCE WATER WORKS · MA3149000
    89,143 served
  4. HaverhillHAVERHILL WATER DEPT · MA3128000
    61,277 served
  5. PeabodyPEABODY WATER DEPT. · MA3229000
    54,481 served
  6. MethuenMETHUEN WATER DEPT · MA3181000
    53,059 served
  7. SalemSALEM WATER DEPARTMENT · MA3258000
    44,480 served
  8. GloucesterGLOUCESTER PUBLIC UTILITY DIVISION · MA3107000
    37,440 served
  9. AndoverANDOVER WATER DEPT · MA3009000
    36,569 served
  10. DanversDANVERS WATER DEPT. · MA3071000
    28,087 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Essex County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 13 cities in Essex County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Lawrence's main water system: LAWRENCE WATER WORKS · PWSID MA3149000 · Purity Score 100 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.

How many Essex County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

5 of 13 Essex County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Peabody (PFOA 7 ng/L), Lynnfield (PFOA 6.1 ng/L), Danvers (PFOS 5.2 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 9.

Is there lead in Essex County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 7 of 13 Essex County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.

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