Public water system · MA4224000
ActiveOrleans Water Department
At a glance
Orleans Water Department (PWSID MA4224000) is an active community water system in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 17,460 people through 5,430 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 October 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
17,460
Service connections
5,430
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Orleans Water Department compare with other water systems in Barnstable County?
By EPA's size categories, Orleans Water Department is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Barnstable County has 125 active public water systems. Its population served is about 3.5 times the county average of 5,016 people per system, and accounts for 2.8% of the 627,054 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 Orleans Water Department is about 160% above 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 Orleans Water Department?
EPA lists Orleans 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. 31 of the 125 active systems in Barnstable County (25%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Orleans Water Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. The violations listed here began between October 2024 and October 2024. By type: 12 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are 2,4,5-TP (Silvex), Methoxychlor, Lindane (gamma-BHC) and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), total. EPA lists 12 as archived. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 2,4,5-TP (Silvex)code 2110 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Methoxychlorcode 2015 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Lindane (gamma-BHC)code 2010 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), totalcode 2383 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipatecode 2035 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Atrazinecode 2050 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalatecode 2039 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dinosebcode 2041 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Diquatcode 2032 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorobenzenecode 2274 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorocyclopentadienecode 2042 | No | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toxaphenecode 2020 | 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.
Orleans Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Orleans Water Department?
Orleans Water Department (PWSID MA4224000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Orleans Water Department serve?
Orleans Water Department reports serving 17,460 people through 5,430 service connections in Barnstable County, Massachusetts.
Where does Orleans 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 Orleans Water Department 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 October 2024. 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 Orleans 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Orleans Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Orleans 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 Barnstable County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falmouth Water Dept | Barnstable | 97,551 | Community | Surface water |
| Dennis Water District | Barnstable | 65,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative | Barnstable | 56,250 | Community | Groundwater |
| Centerville Osterville Marstons Mills Wd | Barnstable | 50,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Harwich Water Department | Barnstable | 39,144 | Community | Groundwater |
| Yarmouth Water Department | Barnstable | 38,900 | Community | Groundwater |
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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, “Orleans Water Department, PWSID MA4224000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/orleans-water-department-ma4224000 (data as of October 1, 2026).