Public water system · MA3301023
ActiveMit Haystack Observatory
At a glance
Mit Haystack Observatory (PWSID MA3301023) is an active non-transient non-community water system in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 40 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2008.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
40
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
NTNCWS
Non-transient non-community water system
System record
How does Mit Haystack Observatory compare with other water systems in Middlesex County?
By EPA's size categories, Mit Haystack Observatory is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Middlesex County has 204 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 7,986 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 1,629,099 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Massachusetts, the 1,636 active systems average 6,275 people each. Nationally, the average active non-transient non-community water system reports serving 430 people, so Mit Haystack Observatory is well below that figure.
What does “non-transient non-community water system” mean?
A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. Massachusetts has 246 active non-transient non-community water systems, 15% 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 Mit Haystack Observatory?
EPA lists Mit Haystack Observatory as privately owned. 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. 127 of the 204 active systems in Middlesex County (62%) are also privately owned.
Does Mit Haystack Observatory 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 2008. The violations listed here began between October 2001 and July 2008. By type: 12 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Lead and Copper Rule, Total coliform bacteria (TCR), Toluene and Ethylbenzene. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toluenecode 2991 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Ethylbenzenecode 2992 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Vinyl chloridecode 2976 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | p-Dichlorobenzenecode 2969 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | trans-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2979 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzenecode 2378 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chlorobenzenecode 2989 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylenecode 2380 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Benzenecode 2990 | No | Archived |
| 2001-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dichloroethanecode 2980 | 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.
Mit Haystack Observatory: frequently asked questions
Who runs Mit Haystack Observatory?
Mit Haystack Observatory (PWSID MA3301023) is a non-transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Mit Haystack Observatory serve?
Mit Haystack Observatory reports serving 40 people through 1 service connection in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Where does Mit Haystack Observatory 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 Mit Haystack Observatory 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 2008. 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 Mit Haystack Observatory'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 2008. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Mit Haystack Observatory's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Mit Haystack Observatory is a non-transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
Other water systems in Middlesex County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell Regional Water Utility | Middlesex | 120,418 | Community | Surface water |
| Cambridge Water Department | Middlesex | 118,214 | Community | Surface water |
| Newton Water Dept. (MWRA) | Middlesex | 88,931 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Somerville Water Dept. (MWRA) | Middlesex | 81,045 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Framingham Water Dept. (MWRA) | Middlesex | 72,362 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Malden Water Division (MWRA) | Middlesex | 66,263 | Community | Purchased 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, “Mit Haystack Observatory, PWSID MA3301023, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/mit-haystack-observatory-ma3301023 (data as of October 1, 2026).