PFAS in tap water, Worcester County, Massachusetts
15 of 43 water systems had PFAS-4 above our 0.5 ng/L benchmark at the latest sample. Highest: Milford Water Department, 13.7 ng/L. 18 had PFOA or PFOS above the 4 ng/L federal MCL in at least one sample.
43 community water systems · 700,043 people served · newest sample December 3, 2025
Water systems in Worcester County
| Water system | People served | PFAS-4 at the latest sample | Entry points | Latest sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester Dpwp, Water Supply Division | 206,518 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | April 17, 2024 |
| Fitchburg DPW Division of Water Supply | 41,946 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit above the 2029 federal MCL in an earlier sample | 2 | December 4, 2024 |
| Leominster Water Division | 41,683 | 4.3 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 4 | January 8, 2025 |
| Shrewsbury Water Department | 38,325 | 11 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 1 | May 9, 2024 |
| Milford Water Department | 30,379 | 13.7 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 2 | June 30, 2025 |
| Westborough Water Department | 21,567 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit above the 2029 federal MCL in an earlier sample | 5 | February 15, 2024 |
| Gardner Water Department | 21,381 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | December 5, 2023 |
| Southbridge Water Department | 19,562 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | November 14, 2023 |
| Holden Water Division, DPW | 18,016 | 4.9 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 4 | January 30, 2024 |
| Webster Water Department | 17,776 | 4.4 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 2 | November 29, 2023 |
| Clinton Water Dept | 15,428 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | November 5, 2024 |
| Northborough Water Department (MWRA) | 13,551 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | October 18, 2023 |
| Auburn Water District | 12,255 | 4.1 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 6 | September 10, 2025 |
| Uxbridge DPW, Water Division | 11,612 | 10.1 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 3 | February 3, 2025 |
| Ash/Win Joint Water Authority | 11,394 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | October 15, 2025 |
| Aquarion Water Company, Millbury | 11,368 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit above the 2029 federal MCL in an earlier sample | 3 | December 13, 2023 |
| Grafton Water District | 10,925 | 11.9 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 4 | August 20, 2025 |
| Southborough DPW Water Division (MWRA) | 10,638 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | October 17, 2023 |
| Athol DPW Water Division | 10,587 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | March 26, 2025 |
| Blackstone Water Department | 9,463 | 5.7 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 1 | October 7, 2025 |
| Northbridge Water Division | 8,127 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | October 8, 2024 |
| Whitinsville Water Company | 7,899 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | October 3, 2023 |
| Aquarion Water Company Oxford | 7,384 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 3 | January 8, 2025 |
| Lunenburg Water District | 7,219 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit above the 2029 federal MCL in an earlier sample | 2 | December 6, 2023 |
| Spencer Water Department | 7,037 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | August 27, 2024 |
| West Boylston Water District | 6,919 | 5.4 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 4 | December 4, 2024 |
| Sterling Water Department | 6,715 | 5.2 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 2 | August 14, 2024 |
| Templeton Munic. Light and Water Plant | 6,159 | 5.1 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 4 | October 1, 2024 |
| Rutland Water Department | 6,025 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | April 8, 2024 |
| Hopedale Water Department | 6,017 | 11.1 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 1 | October 6, 2025 |
| Lancaster Water Department | 6,000 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | September 8, 2025 |
| Winchendon Water Department | 5,706 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | October 3, 2023 |
| Dudley Water Department | 5,515 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | July 12, 2023 |
| Sturbridge Water Department | 4,746 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | December 4, 2024 |
| Upton DPW Water/Wastewater Division | 4,420 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 3 | December 6, 2023 |
| Douglas Water Department | 4,400 | 4 ng/L | 2 | December 1, 2025 |
| Paxton Water Department | 4,300 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | December 20, 2023 |
| Westminster Department of Public Works | 3,889 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | November 5, 2024 |
| North Brookfield Water Department | 3,863 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | November 5, 2024 |
| Cherry Valley/ Rochdale Water District | 3,696 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 2 | December 3, 2024 |
| Ashburnham Water Department | 3,680 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 1 | January 14, 2025 |
| Boylston Water District | 3,343 | 4 ng/L above the 2029 federal MCL | 3 | December 3, 2025 |
| Barre Water Department | 2,610 | below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit | 3 | January 17, 2024 |
| Southbridge Tool and Manufacturing non-transient non-community water system | 58 | monitored under UCMR 5, no page | ||
1 system without a page is not a community water system (schools, workplaces, campgrounds). Nobody's home tap water.
Not sure which one is yours? The systems report their own service areas to EPA. Check your water bill or your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Cities and towns
- Ashburnham town/township
- Athol
- Auburn town/township
- Barre
- Blackstone town/township
- Boylston town/township
- Clinton
- Douglas town/township
- Dudley town/township
- Fitchburg
- Gardner
- Grafton town/township
- Holden town/township
- Hopedale
- Lancaster town/township
- Leicester town/township
- Leominster
- Lunenburg
- Milford
- Millbury town/township
- North Brookfield
- Northborough
- Northbridge town/township
- Oxford
- Paxton town/township
- Rutland
- Shrewsbury town/township
- Southborough town/township
- Southbridge
- Spencer
- Sterling town/township
- Sturbridge
- Templeton town/township
- Upton
- Uxbridge town/township
- Webster
- West Boylston town/township
- Westborough
- Westminster town/township
- Winchendon
- Worcester
ZIP codes in Worcester County
Census ZIP code tabulation areas that overlap the county. A ZIP served by one system opens that system's page; a ZIP shared by several systems lists them.
- 01005
- 01074
- 01082
- 01331
- 01420
- 01430
- 01434
- 01436
- 01438
- 01440
- 01453
- 01462
- 01468
- 01473
- 01475
- 01501
- 01504
- 01505
- 01507
- 01510
- 01515
- 01516
- 01518
- 01519
- 01520
- 01522
- 01523
- 01524
- 01527
- 01532
- 01534
- 01535
- 01536
- 01537
- 01540
- 01542
- 01543
- 01545
- 01550
- 01560
- 01562
- 01564
- 01566
- 01568
- 01569
- 01570
- 01571
- 01581
- 01583
- 01588
- 01590
- 01602
- 01603
- 01604
- 01605
- 01606
- 01607
- 01611
- 01612
- 01745
- 01747
- 01757
- 01772
How to read these numbers
We compare PFAS-4 (PFOA + PFOS + PFNA + PFHxS) with this site's 0.5 ng/L benchmark, the same line as on the European pages. UCMR 5 reporting limits are 3 to 4 ng/L. So any quantified PFAS-4 compound is above the benchmark, and a clean result reads "below the 3 to 4 ng/L reporting limit", never zero. The US legal limit is the 4 ng/L federal MCL for PFOA and PFOS, which systems must meet from April 26, 2029 ("above the 2029 federal MCL").
EPA: "UCMR 5 results do not indicate compliance or noncompliance with the PFAS drinking water standards". Samples are taken where water enters the distribution system, not at your tap. A system may have changed sources or added treatment since. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Water, PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR). Regulation details retrieved September 19, 2026. Every system page tracks the 2029 compliance date and the proposed rescission of the PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and Hazard Index limits.
This site is a data project, not an official source. If in doubt, check with your water supplier or local authority.