We read 9 results from Needham Water Dept’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 1 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 33,130 people · Water system ID MA3199000 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radium-226average · sampled 2023 · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.82 pCi/L | 0.05 pCi/L | 5 pCi/L | Above the health goal16x the health goal |
| Bariumaverage · range 0.007 to 0.009 · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.008 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chloramineaverage · range 0.02 to 3.7 · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 4 | 1.99 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)average · range 2.5 to 23.2 · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 4 | 15.8 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)average · range 2.8 to 35.3 · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 4 | 16.1 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluorideaverage · range 0.4 to 0.8 · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.71 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)highest measured · range 0.01 to 0.64 · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.64 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrite (as N)average · range ND to 0.005 · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.005 ppm | 1 ppm | 1 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Sodiumhighest measured · MWRA system · 2025 report, page 7 | 35.6 ppm | None set | None | No health limit |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in Needham Water Dept’s water between Jan 2024 and Oct 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFOA4.6 pptFound in 2 of 6 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFOS5 pptFound in 1 of 6 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (EPA testing), PFOS (EPA testing)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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