Public water system · MA3344000
ActiveWinchester Water Dept
At a glance
Winchester Water Dept (PWSID MA3344000) is an active community water system in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It reports serving 22,970 people through 7,142 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, 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 January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
22,970
Service connections
7,142
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Winchester Water Dept compare with other water systems in Middlesex County?
By EPA's size categories, Winchester Water Dept is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Middlesex County has 204 active public water systems. Its population served is about 188% above the county average of 7,986 people per system, and accounts for 1.4% 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 Winchester Water Dept is about 3.4 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 76 Massachusetts systems (4.6%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Winchester Water Dept?
EPA lists Winchester Water Dept 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 Winchester Water Dept have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between January 2026 and January 2026. By type: 12 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Mercury, Nickel, Beryllium and Chromium. EPA lists 12 as archived. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Mercurycode 1035 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nickelcode 1036 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Berylliumcode 1075 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chromiumcode 1020 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Cyanidecode 1024 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Cadmiumcode 1015 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Bariumcode 1010 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Thalliumcode 1085 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Fluoridecode 1025 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Antimonycode 1074 | No | Archived |
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Seleniumcode 1045 | 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.
Winchester Water Dept: frequently asked questions
Who runs Winchester Water Dept?
Winchester Water Dept (PWSID MA3344000) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MA state drinking water program.
How many people does Winchester Water Dept serve?
Winchester Water Dept reports serving 22,970 people through 7,142 service connections in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Where does Winchester Water Dept get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Winchester Water Dept 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 January 2026. 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 Winchester Water Dept'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 January 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Winchester Water Dept's water quality report?
As a community water system, Winchester Water Dept 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, “Winchester Water Dept, PWSID MA3344000, Massachusetts”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/massachusetts/winchester-water-dept-ma3344000 (data as of October 1, 2026).