Public water system · MA3243000
ActiveQuincy Water Dept. (MWRA)
At a glance
Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) (PWSID MA3243000) is an active community water system in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 106,000 people through 23,750 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in June 1996.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
106,000
Service connections
23,750
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) compare with other water systems in Norfolk County?
By EPA's size categories, Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Norfolk County has 58 active public water systems, and Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 7.3 times the county average of 14,602 people per system, and accounts for 13% 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 Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) is about 16 times 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. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 126 Massachusetts systems (7.7%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA)?
EPA lists Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) 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 Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in June 1996. The violations listed here began between January 1992 and June 1996. By type: 4 required treatment not met and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (3 of them). EPA lists 3 as archived and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1996-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1994-01-01 | Required treatment not metPublic Education · code 65 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-01-01 | Required treatment not metPublic Education · code 65 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-01-01 | Required treatment not metFailure to Filter (SWTR) · code 42 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Archived |
| 1992-01-01 | Required treatment not metPublic Education · code 65 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
All 6 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.
Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA): frequently asked questions
Who runs Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA)?
Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) (PWSID MA3243000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) serve?
Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) reports serving 106,000 people through 23,750 service connections in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
Where does Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in June 1996. 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 Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA)'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. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; all are health-based, and the most recent began in June 1996. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA)'s water quality report?
As a community water system, Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Bluedrop Water @ St Bernadette Church | Norfolk | 35,114 | Transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Quincy Water Dept. (MWRA), PWSID MA3243000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/quincy-water-dept-mwra-ma3243000 (data as of October 1, 2026).