Public water system · MA4238000
ActivePlainville Water Department
At a glance
Plainville Water Department (PWSID MA4238000) is an active community water system in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 8,805 people through 2,562 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater under influence of surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2018.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
8,805
Service connections
2,562
Primary source
GU
Groundwater under influence of surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Plainville Water Department compare with other water systems in Norfolk County?
By EPA's size categories, Plainville Water Department is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Norfolk County has 58 active public water systems. Its population served is about 40% below the county average of 14,602 people per system, and accounts for 1% of the 846,897 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 Plainville Water Department is about 31% 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 under the influence of surface water is well or spring water that the regulator has found to be affected by nearby surface water, so it is regulated under the surface-water treatment rules. 14 Massachusetts systems (0.9%) list groundwater under influence of surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Plainville Water Department?
EPA lists Plainville 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. 30 of the 58 active systems in Norfolk County (52%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Plainville Water Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in June 2018. The violations listed here began between July 2010 and June 2018. By type: 8 contaminant level above the legal limit, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (4 of them). EPA lists 8 as archived and 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Archived |
| 2018-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2018-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Archived |
| 2018-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Archived |
| 2018-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2017-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Archived |
| 2017-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2017-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2017-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-07-01 | 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.
Plainville Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Plainville Water Department?
Plainville Water Department (PWSID MA4238000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Plainville Water Department serve?
Plainville Water Department reports serving 8,805 people through 2,562 service connections in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
Where does Plainville Water Department get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater under influence of surface water. Groundwater under the influence of surface water is well or spring water that the regulator has found to be affected by nearby surface water, so it is regulated under the surface-water treatment rules.
Does Plainville Water Department have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in June 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 Plainville 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, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in June 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 Plainville Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Plainville 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 Norfolk County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) | Norfolk | 106,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Brookline Water and Sewer Division | Norfolk | 63,191 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Weymouth Water Department | Norfolk | 57,871 | Community | Surface water |
| Randolph/Holbrook Joint Water Board | Norfolk | 46,519 | Community | Surface water |
| Dedham Westwood Water Dist. | Norfolk | 41,630 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Braintree Water and Sewer Dept. | Norfolk | 39,143 | 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, “Plainville Water Department, PWSID MA4238000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/plainville-water-department-ma4238000 (data as of October 1, 2026).