Public water system · MA1209000
ActiveNorth Adams Water Dept
At a glance
North Adams Water Dept (PWSID MA1209000) is an active community water system in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 13,000 people through 4,203 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 January 2018.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
13,000
Service connections
4,203
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does North Adams Water Dept compare with other water systems in Berkshire County?
By EPA's size categories, North Adams Water Dept is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Berkshire County has 183 active public water systems, and North Adams Water Dept is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 18 times the county average of 730 people per system, and accounts for 9.7% of the 133,497 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 North Adams Water Dept is about twice 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 North Adams Water Dept?
EPA lists North Adams 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. 33 of the 183 active systems in Berkshire County (18%) are also owned by a local government.
Does North Adams 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 January 2018. The violations listed here began between January 2018 and January 2018. By type: 12 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Heptachlor, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Glyphosate and Pentachlorophenol. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Heptachlorcode 2065 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorocyclopentadienecode 2042 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Glyphosatecode 2034 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Pentachlorophenolcode 2326 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Oxamylcode 2036 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Methoxychlorcode 2015 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 2,4-Dcode 2105 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), totalcode 2383 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chlordanecode 2959 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Heptachlor epoxidecode 2067 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Diquatcode 2032 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Simazinecode 2037 | No | 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.
North Adams Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs North Adams Water Dept?
North Adams Water Dept (PWSID MA1209000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does North Adams Water Dept serve?
North Adams Water Dept reports serving 13,000 people through 4,203 service connections in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
Where does North Adams Water Dept 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 North Adams 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 January 2018. 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 North Adams 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 January 2018. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find North Adams Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, North Adams 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 Berkshire County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield Dpu Water Dept | Berkshire | 43,927 | Community | Surface water |
| Lenox Dpw Water Division | Berkshire | 9,800 | Community | Surface water |
| Adams Fire District | Berkshire | 7,945 | Community | Groundwater |
| Williamstown Water Dept | Berkshire | 7,326 | Community | Groundwater |
| Dalton Fire District | Berkshire | 6,330 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Lee Water Dept | Berkshire | 5,686 | 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, “North Adams Water Dept, PWSID MA1209000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/north-adams-water-dept-ma1209000 (data as of October 1, 2026).