Public water system · MA3298000
ActiveTopsfield Water Department
At a glance
Topsfield Water Department (PWSID MA3298000) is an active community water system in Essex County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 5,435 people through 1,876 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, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
5,435
Service connections
1,876
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Topsfield Water Department compare with other water systems in Essex County?
By EPA's size categories, Topsfield Water Department is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Essex County has 67 active public water systems. Its population served is about 59% below the county average of 13,412 people per system, and accounts for 0.6% of the 898,585 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 Topsfield Water Department is about 19% below 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 Topsfield Water Department?
EPA lists Topsfield 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. 39 of the 67 active systems in Essex County (58%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Topsfield Water Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. The violations listed here began between January 1998 and January 2025. By type: 8 monitoring and reporting, 3 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (4 of them). EPA lists 5 as archived, 4 as addressed 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. Addressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is covered by formal enforcement. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Addressed |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Addressed |
| 2019-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | Enterococcicode 3002 | No | Addressed |
| 2018-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Addressed |
| 2018-03-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2013-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitritecode 1041 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 2007-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1998-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1998-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipatecode 2035 | 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.
Topsfield Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Topsfield Water Department?
Topsfield Water Department (PWSID MA3298000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Topsfield Water Department serve?
Topsfield Water Department reports serving 5,435 people through 1,876 service connections in Essex County, Massachusetts.
Where does Topsfield 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 Topsfield Water Department have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 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 Topsfield 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, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 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 Topsfield Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Topsfield 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 Essex County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn Water and Sewer Comm | Essex | 101,253 | Community | Surface water |
| Salem and Beverly Water Supply Board | Essex | 90,330 | Community | Surface water |
| Lawrence Water Works | Essex | 89,143 | Community | Surface water |
| Haverhill Water Dept | Essex | 61,277 | Community | Surface water |
| Peabody Water Dept. | Essex | 54,481 | Community | Surface water |
| Methuen Water Dept | Essex | 53,059 | Community | 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, “Topsfield Water Department, PWSID MA3298000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/topsfield-water-department-ma3298000 (data as of October 1, 2026).