MA / Cambridge
MA · Tap water records
Cambridge tap water, in plain English
Here is what the EPA's own data shows about tap water in Cambridge. According to EPA SDWIS data retrieved June 2026, Cambridge is served by 1 active community water system, together reported to serve about 118,214 people.
As of June 2026, EPA records show 78 violations across the community water system(s) serving Cambridge, going back to the earliest EPA record. None were health-based; the records are monitoring or reporting violations (a required test or report was late or missed). Each is listed by system below, with its status.
What the EPA has on record, by system
Cambridge Water Department
118,214 served · surface water · PWSID MA3049000 - Monitoring Heptachlor epoxide: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Heptachlor: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Pentachlorophenol: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Toxaphene: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring 2,4,5-TP: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Methoxychlor: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring BHC-GAMMA: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB): a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Benzo(a)pyrene: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Dalapon: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Dinoseb: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Diquat: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Endothall: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Glyphosate: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring HEXACHLOROBENZENE: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Hexachlorocyclopentadiene: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring OXAMYL: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring LASSO: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Picloram: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Simazine: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring 2,3,7,8-TCDD: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Aroclor 1016: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Aroclor 1221: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Aroclor 1232: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Aroclor 1242: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Aroclor 1248: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Aroclor 1254: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring PCB 1262: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Atrazine: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Aroclor 1260: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Carbofuran: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Chlordane: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring 2,4-D: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Endrin: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in April 2019. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in July 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
What this means
A health-based violation means a contaminant was recorded above the limit the EPA tracks for it. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was late or missed — not that a contaminant was measured above a limit. “Returned to compliance” means the EPA recorded the issue as resolved.
This page summarizes the EPA's own records and does not assess whether your water is safe to drink. For the most current details, you can verify every record directly with the EPA, and contact your water system with questions.
Source: U.S. EPA Envirofacts SDWIS, retrieved June 2026. Records cover the EPA's full reporting history for these systems. Verify at EPA ECHO.