Public water system · MA3092000
ActiveEssex Water Dept.
At a glance
Essex Water Dept. (PWSID MA3092000) is an active community water system in Essex County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 3,675 people through 1,124 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2009.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,675
Service connections
1,124
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Essex Water Dept. compare with other water systems in Essex County?
By EPA's size categories, Essex Water Dept. is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 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 0.4% 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 Essex Water Dept. is about half of 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 Essex Water Dept.?
EPA lists Essex Water Dept. 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 Essex Water Dept. have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2009. The violations listed here began between July 2004 and July 2009. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminants or rules involved are Consumer Confidence Rule, Endrin, Simazine and Lindane (gamma-BHC). EPA lists 11 as archived and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-07-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Endrincode 2005 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Simazinecode 2037 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Lindane (gamma-BHC)code 2010 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Methoxychlorcode 2015 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorobenzenecode 2274 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dalaponcode 2031 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorocyclopentadienecode 2042 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toxaphenecode 2020 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Diquatcode 2032 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chlordanecode 2959 | No | Archived |
| 2004-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Heptachlorcode 2065 | 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.
Essex Water Dept.: frequently asked questions
Who runs Essex Water Dept.?
Essex Water Dept. (PWSID MA3092000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Essex Water Dept. serve?
Essex Water Dept. reports serving 3,675 people through 1,124 service connections in Essex County, Massachusetts.
Where does Essex Water Dept. 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 Essex Water Dept. have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2009. 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 Essex Water Dept.'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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2009. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Essex Water Dept.'s water quality report?
As a community water system, Essex Water Dept. 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, “Essex Water Dept., PWSID MA3092000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/essex-water-dept-ma3092000 (data as of October 1, 2026).