Public water system · MA3205001
ActiveByfield Water District
At a glance
Byfield Water District (PWSID MA3205001) is an active community water system in Essex County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 2,228 people through 857 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,228
Service connections
857
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Byfield Water District compare with other water systems in Essex County?
By EPA's size categories, Byfield Water District is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Essex County has 67 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 13,412 people per system, and accounts for 0.2% of the 898,585 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Massachusetts, the 1,636 active systems average 6,275 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Byfield Water District is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Massachusetts has 531 active community water systems, 32% of the state's 1,636 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,354 Massachusetts systems (83%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Byfield Water District?
EPA lists Byfield Water District as owned by a local government. The MA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 39 of the 67 active systems in Essex County (58%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Byfield Water District have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. The violations listed here began between April 1997 and July 2019. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium) (2 of them). EPA lists 10 as archived and 2 as resolved. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Archived |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 1997-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | trans-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2979 | No | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dichloroethanecode 2980 | No | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Tetrachloroethylenecode 2987 | No | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toluenecode 2991 | No | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,1-Dichloroethylenecode 2977 | No | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | No | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Carbon tetrachloridecode 2982 | No | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,1,1-Trichloroethanecode 2981 | No | Archived |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Byfield Water District: frequently asked questions
Who runs Byfield Water District?
Byfield Water District (PWSID MA3205001) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Byfield Water District serve?
Byfield Water District reports serving 2,228 people through 857 service connections in Essex County, Massachusetts.
Where does Byfield Water District get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Byfield Water District have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Byfield Water District's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Byfield Water District's water quality report?
As a community water system, Byfield Water District must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Essex County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn Water and Sewer Comm | Essex | 101,253 | Community | Surface water |
| Salem and Beverly Water Supply Board | Essex | 90,330 | Community | Surface water |
| Lawrence Water Works | Essex | 89,143 | Community | Surface water |
| Haverhill Water Dept | Essex | 61,277 | Community | Surface water |
| Peabody Water Dept. | Essex | 54,481 | Community | Surface water |
| Methuen Water Dept | Essex | 53,059 | Community | Surface water |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Byfield Water District, PWSID MA3205001, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/byfield-water-district-ma3205001 (data as of October 1, 2026).