Is Boston tap water safe to drink?
MWRA supplies 2,580,000 people here, drawing surface water. Here is its entire federal compliance record — and, just as importantly, what that record cannot tell you.
People served
2,580,000
MWRA
Source
surface water
SW
Violations on record
0
none reported
Health-based
0
none on record
MWRA has nothing on its federal record.
No reported violations at all. That is not proof the water is clean, but there is no recorded reason here to buy anything. Most households on supply like this need nothing.
Probably nothing
We make our money when you buy something through us, so read this in that light: there is nothing on this utility’s record that justifies spending. If the water tastes off to you that is a real problem worth a $28 pitcher, and if you drink a lot of it the calculator will tell you whether a plumbed system pays for itself on cost alone. Neither is about safety here.
This system has no violations on its federal record. That is not the same as clean water, and we will not pretend it is — it means nothing has been reported. It does mean there is no recorded reason here to spend money on filtration. Test your own tap first.
What this record cannot tell you
This is a compliance record, not a water test. It describes the utility, not the pipe between the water main and your kitchen — which is where lead usually enters, and which no federal record covers. It also cannot tell you what is in your water today; a citation is a point in time. The measured levels are in your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report, which it must publish and which is free.
Source: US EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System, retrieved 2026-08-31 from data.epa.gov. Public water system MA6000000. Nothing on this page is written by hand — if a figure is not in EPA’s response, it does not appear here. All cities.