Public water system · MA3166000
ActiveManchester By the Sea Dpw
At a glance
Manchester By the Sea Dpw (PWSID MA3166000) is an active community water system in Essex County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 5,201 people through 2,637 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, 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 June 2020.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
5,201
Service connections
2,637
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Manchester By the Sea Dpw compare with other water systems in Essex County?
By EPA's size categories, Manchester By the Sea Dpw is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Essex County has 67 active public water systems. Its population served is about 61% below the county average of 13,412 people per system, and accounts for 0.6% 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 Manchester By the Sea Dpw is about 22% 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 76 Massachusetts systems (4.6%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Manchester By the Sea Dpw?
EPA lists Manchester By the Sea Dpw 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 Manchester By the Sea Dpw have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in June 2020. The violations listed here began between October 2008 and June 2020. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (3 of them). EPA lists 7 as archived, 4 as resolved and 1 as addressed. 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. Addressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Addressed |
| 2015-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Archived |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dichloromethanecode 2964 | No | Archived |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Xylenes, Totalcode 2955 | No | Archived |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Archived |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2380 | No | Archived |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toluenecode 2991 | No | Archived |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | trans-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2979 | 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.
Manchester By the Sea Dpw: frequently asked questions
Who runs Manchester By the Sea Dpw?
Manchester By the Sea Dpw (PWSID MA3166000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Manchester By the Sea Dpw serve?
Manchester By the Sea Dpw reports serving 5,201 people through 2,637 service connections in Essex County, Massachusetts.
Where does Manchester By the Sea Dpw get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Manchester By the Sea Dpw 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 June 2020. 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 Manchester By the Sea Dpw'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 June 2020. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Manchester By the Sea Dpw's water quality report?
As a community water system, Manchester By the Sea Dpw 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, “Manchester By the Sea Dpw, PWSID MA3166000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/manchester-by-the-sea-dpw-ma3166000 (data as of October 1, 2026).