Public water system · MA2299000
ActiveTownsend Water Department
At a glance
Townsend Water Department (PWSID MA2299000) is an active community water system in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 6,832 people through 2,132 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 April 2023.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
6,832
Service connections
2,132
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Townsend Water Department compare with other water systems in Middlesex County?
By EPA's size categories, Townsend Water Department is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Middlesex County has 204 active public water systems. Its population served is about 14% below the county average of 7,986 people per system, and accounts for 0.4% of the 1,629,099 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 Townsend Water Department is roughly in line with 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 Townsend Water Department?
EPA lists Townsend 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. 66 of the 204 active systems in Middlesex County (32%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Townsend 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 April 2023. The violations listed here began between October 2013 and April 2023. By type: 9 monitoring and reporting and 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (4 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-09-29 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Radium-226code 4020 | No | Archived |
| 2022-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 2022-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Radium-228code 4030 | No | Archived |
| 2022-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Alachlor (Lasso)code 2051 | No | 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.
Townsend Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Townsend Water Department?
Townsend Water Department (PWSID MA2299000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Townsend Water Department serve?
Townsend Water Department reports serving 6,832 people through 2,132 service connections in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Where does Townsend 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 Townsend 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 April 2023. 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 Townsend 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 April 2023. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Townsend Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Townsend 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 Middlesex County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell Regional Water Utility | Middlesex | 120,418 | Community | Surface water |
| Cambridge Water Department | Middlesex | 118,214 | Community | Surface water |
| Newton Water Dept. (MWRA) | Middlesex | 88,931 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Somerville Water Dept. (MWRA) | Middlesex | 81,045 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Framingham Water Dept. (MWRA) | Middlesex | 72,362 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Malden Water Division (MWRA) | Middlesex | 66,263 | Community | Purchased 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, “Townsend Water Department, PWSID MA2299000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/townsend-water-department-ma2299000 (data as of October 1, 2026).