Drinking Water Health & Safety

Yearly update for Boards of Health on drinking-water issues.  July 2015.

Yearly update for Boards of Health on drinking-water issues. June 2014.

Annual inventory of recreational camps licensed by local boards of health. The State Sanitary Code, 105 CMR 430, requires boards of health to notify MassDEP and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health upon issuing a license to a camping facility. March 2014.

Recommended procedures for boards of health to oversee the safety of water supplies at local fairs. Updated May 2014.

Reports must be signed and posted by each TNC.

Laboratories that MassDEP has approved for drinking water analysis. Also includes forms, policies and regulations.

Questions and answers about health concerns as they relate to drinking water supplies. How can a consumer find out more about the health impacts of certain ingredients or contaminants in their drinking water? Is bottled water safer to drink than public drinking water? What is a boil water alert? What is an acceptable level of risk? Answers to these questions and more. October 2008.

How standards for water safety are set, what those standards mean, how they are enforced, and testing frequency. October 2008

Information presented in chart form to help determine whether your supply is a public or private facility.

Guidance to determine if mosquito control work (e.g. application of pesticides) is exempt or requires an Emergency Certification under the Wetlands Protection Act, and whether application of pesticides to a public water source for mosquito control can go forward.

Balancing the need to control disease-bearing insect populations and the safety of drinking water supplies.

MassDEP does not regulate bottled water, which is under the oversight of the Department of Public Health. We provide some informational resources on the topic here. 

Private wells are under the jurisdiction of local boards of health. This page includes guidance, testing, and maintenance recommendations and other resources for private well owners.

Guidance, policies, regulations, frequently asked questions, fact sheets and other reference materials relative to conventional septic systems and innovative or alternative wastewater treatment systems.

As part of a continued effort to provide timely information to protect public health, MassDEP is raising awareness regarding levels of manganese in Massachusetts Public Drinking Water systems.

Example Excel workbook for maintaining your Title 5 Underground Injection Control (UIC) data (for use by local boards of health / health departments).

Use this form if you need to update your contact information with the MassDEP Drinking Water Program (DWP).  You may also use this form if you are interested in subscribing, or unsubscribing, to DWP email and autodialer notifications, as well as any of our electronic newsletters.  Rev. October 2015.

Informing building inspectors and local permitting authorities of registered public water systems in their communities, and the authorities' responsibilities for maintaining safe drinking water in their communities. August 2014.

Sample listing of registered public water systems. August 2014.

Excerpt from the Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulations, 310 CMR 22.00, defining types of public water systems. August 2014.

Information presented in chart form to help determine whether your supply is a public or private facility.

Helping local authorities determine that proposed projects are in compliance with Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulations. August 2014.

Frequently-asked questions about lead in drinking water and how it is regulated in Massachusetts.  Rev. February 2016.

Discusses the role of Office of Research and Standards Drinking Water Guidelines and US EPA Health Advisory Levels when a contaminant is detected in drinking water. December 30, 2009.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health's resource page on drinking-water fluoridation.

Fact sheet, frequently-asked questions, and general guidelines on what do when a boil water order has been issued for your community. Also provided are links to your town's website.

EPA's periodically-revised catalog of reference doses and risk assessments for contaminants that may occur in drinking water. Most recent update: April 2012.

These aesthetic issues with tap water could be indicators of a problem with the supply. This fact sheet describes the problems and what the consumer can do. Using bottled water as either a short- or long-term alternative to tap water is one solution. August 2005.

Where lead comes from, what you can do about it, and how to get lead service line information from your local water department.

Questions and answers from the CDC on sources of lead in tap water and what consumers should do to address problems with excess lead levels in water.

Q&A about basic safety issues such as water sources, home treatment devices, and lead in drinking water. Spanish and Portuguese translations are also provided. August 2005.

These devices - such as carbon filters, ion treatment, reverse osmosis systems, etc. - are installed locally, either at the water service connection of a building (point of entry) or right at the tap (point of use), to treat aesthetic issues such as taste or odor or to help meet drinking water standards. Revised March 2014.

EPA factsheet on home water treatment options, precautions, and resources. September 2005.

Vendors of home-water-treatment devices are required to provide this information to prospective buyers when reporting water-quality results. Revised March 2014.

Information and resources on lead, copper, mercury, perchlorate, and other drinking water contaminants.

Pharmaceuticals & Personal Care Products (PPCPs) include medicines, insect repellents, sunscreens, perfumes, soaps, fragrances and lotions.

Massachusetts public drinking water is among the best in the country due to the high standards MassDEP and the US EPA require! Find out more.

Online directory of boards of health and health districts, provided by the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards.

Drinking Water Program directory arranged by topic area. July 2015.

Detailed contact information for every active public water supply in Massachusetts. July 2015.

Water Supply protection information including surface and groundwater sources.

AWWA brochure on setting up and maintaining a safety program at a drinking water utility.

The mission of the Massachusetts Workplace Safety and Health Program is to prevent job-related injuries and illnesses among the Commonwealth's public sector workers and assist federal agencies in promoting health and safety in selected areas in the private sector.

The American Water Works Association website provides professional, technical, and educational resources for water professionals.

OSHA's mission is to assure safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing workplace-safety standards and providing training, outreach, education and assistance.