Public water system · MA2147000
ActiveLancaster Water Department
At a glance
Lancaster Water Department (PWSID MA2147000) is an active community water system in Worcester County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 6,000 people through 1,896 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, 12 are health-based, and the most recent began in November 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
6,000
Service connections
1,896
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Lancaster Water Department compare with other water systems in Worcester County?
By EPA's size categories, Lancaster Water Department is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Worcester County has 346 active public water systems. Its population served is about 168% above the county average of 2,239 people per system, and accounts for 0.8% of the 774,523 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 Lancaster Water Department is about 10% 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 Lancaster Water Department?
EPA lists Lancaster Water Department 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. 80 of the 346 active systems in Worcester County (23%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Lancaster Water Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 12 are health-based, and the most recent began in November 2015. The violations listed here began between October 2006 and November 2015. By type: 12 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (12 of them). EPA lists 12 as resolved. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2010-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2009-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2006-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
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.
Lancaster Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Lancaster Water Department?
Lancaster Water Department (PWSID MA2147000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Lancaster Water Department serve?
Lancaster Water Department reports serving 6,000 people through 1,896 service connections in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
Where does Lancaster Water Department 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 Lancaster Water Department have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 12 are health-based, and the most recent began in November 2015. 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 Lancaster Water Department'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, 12 are health-based, and the most recent began in November 2015. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Lancaster Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Lancaster Water Department 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 Worcester County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester Dpwp, Water Supply Division | Worcester | 206,518 | Community | Surface water |
| Fitchburg Dpw Division of Water Supply | Worcester | 41,946 | Community | Surface water |
| Leominster Water Division | Worcester | 41,683 | Community | Surface water |
| Shrewsbury Water Department | Worcester | 38,325 | Community | Groundwater |
| Milford Water Department | Worcester | 30,379 | Community | Surface water |
| Westborough Water Department | Worcester | 21,567 | Community | Surface water |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Lancaster Water Department, PWSID MA2147000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/lancaster-water-department-ma2147000 (data as of October 1, 2026).