Public water system · MA2271000
ActiveShrewsbury Water Department
At a glance
Shrewsbury Water Department (PWSID MA2271000) is an active community water system in Worcester County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 38,325 people through 11,896 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
38,325
Service connections
11,896
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Shrewsbury Water Department compare with other water systems in Worcester County?
By EPA's size categories, Shrewsbury Water Department is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Worcester County has 346 active public water systems, and Shrewsbury Water Department is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 17 times the county average of 2,239 people per system, and accounts for 4.9% of the 774,523 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 Shrewsbury Water Department is about 5.7 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. 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 Shrewsbury Water Department?
EPA lists Shrewsbury 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. 80 of the 346 active systems in Worcester County (23%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Shrewsbury Water Department have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. The violations listed here began between April 1980 and October 2025. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 3 contaminant level above the legal limit and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Tetrachloroethylene (3 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved and 2 as archived. 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Tetrachloroethylenecode 2987 | No | Archived |
| 2019-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Tetrachloroethylenecode 2987 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Tetrachloroethylenecode 2987 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1980-04-30 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, Public · code 06 | Not reported | No | Archived |
All 9 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.
Shrewsbury Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Shrewsbury Water Department?
Shrewsbury Water Department (PWSID MA2271000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Shrewsbury Water Department serve?
Shrewsbury Water Department reports serving 38,325 people through 11,896 service connections in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
Where does Shrewsbury 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 Shrewsbury Water Department have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. 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 Shrewsbury 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. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Shrewsbury Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Shrewsbury 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 Worcester County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester Dpwp, Water Supply Division | Worcester | 206,518 | Community | Surface water |
| Fitchburg Dpw Division of Water Supply | Worcester | 41,946 | Community | Surface water |
| Leominster Water Division | Worcester | 41,683 | Community | Surface water |
| Milford Water Department | Worcester | 30,379 | Community | Surface water |
| Westborough Water Department | Worcester | 21,567 | Community | Surface water |
| Gardner Water Department | Worcester | 21,381 | 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, “Shrewsbury Water Department, PWSID MA2271000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/shrewsbury-water-department-ma2271000 (data as of October 1, 2026).