Cambridge water quality guide

Cambridge, MA Water Quality: What to Know and What to Test

If you live in Cambridge and are trying to decide whether to test your water, buy a filter, or ignore the scary charts online, start here. This guide uses the city's 2024 water report, MassDEP records, EPA data, and EWG as a second reference.

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Last updated Reviewed: 2026-05-24. This page covers Cambridge Water Department, PWSID MA3049000.

Short version: Cambridge's 2024 water report does not list violations for the contaminants summarized below. That does not mean every tap is identical. The things most worth paying attention to are lead in older plumbing, PFAS if you want extra confirmation, and taste/sodium/chemistry issues if the water seems off.

First: make sure this report applies to your home

This page is for homes served by the Cambridge Water Department. If your water bill lists a different utility, or if you use a private well, these city results are only background context.

This is an educational snapshot based on public reports. It is not a lab test from your faucet. Lead, metals, stagnant water, fixtures, and old plumbing can change what shows up at one sink.

The main things to know about Cambridge water

Lead

Older homes should still test at the tap

The city's report shows lead at 8 parts per billion at the 90th percentile, below the 15 ppb action level. But lead often comes from a home's own plumbing, so an older home can still deserve a first-draw lead test.

PFAS

PFAS was detected, then treatment improved

Cambridge reported PFAS6 at 6 parts per trillion, below Massachusetts' 20 ppt standard. According to the city, replacement carbon media later produced non-detect regulatory samples. If PFAS is your main worry, verify with a PFAS-specific test before buying treatment.

Taste and chemistry

Taste problems are not always filter emergencies

Sodium, chloride, total dissolved solids, chlorine, and hardness can affect taste and comfort. Those are different questions from PFAS or lead and should be tested separately.

What the 2024 Cambridge report says

Key official values and what they mean for a household
ItemReported valueLimit or contextWhat to do with that information
PFAS66 ppt; range ND–6 pptMassachusetts standard: 20 ppt. Violation listed: No.If PFAS is your concern, get a PFAS-specific lab test before buying reverse osmosis or another PFAS treatment system.
Lead90th percentile: 8 ppb; range ND–14 ppbAction level: 15 ppb. Violation listed: No.Test at the tap if the home is older, has unknown service-line material, has recent plumbing work, or is used for infant formula.
Total haloacetic acids / HAA58.06 ppb; range 2.56–9.42 ppbFederal limit: 60 ppb. Violation listed: No.For most Cambridge households, this is not the first testing priority unless there is a specific disinfection-byproduct concern.
Total trihalomethanes / TTHM11.8 ppb; range 3.9–18.8 ppbFederal limit: 80 ppb. Violation listed: No.Useful context if you are comparing city data, but not enough by itself to justify an expensive whole-house system.
Nitrate as nitrogen0.71 ppm; range 0.01–0.71 ppmFederal limit: 10 ppm. Violation listed: No.Usually a bigger routine concern for private wells than for Cambridge city water.
Sodium, chloride, and dissolved solidsSodium 106 ppm; chloride 180 ppm; total dissolved solids 380 ppmMostly taste, comfort, or guidance-level context, not the same as a contaminant violation.Worth checking if the water tastes salty, leaves residue, or if someone in the home is watching sodium intake.

Where most Cambridge households should start

If your home is older

Start with a first-draw lead test from the kitchen tap. This is the most household-specific issue on the page.

Lead testing and filter guide

If PFAS is what worries you

Use a PFAS-specific lab test. A broad strip test will not answer this well. If PFAS is confirmed, then compare reverse osmosis or other certified/reported PFAS-reduction options.

PFAS filter guide

If the water tastes, smells, or feels wrong

Start with a broad test for chlorine, pH, hardness, sodium/chloride, dissolved solids, iron, manganese, copper, and lead. The fix depends on which issue is actually present.

Compare water test kits

If you're on a private well

Do not rely on Cambridge's city report. Test bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, lead, pH, hardness, iron/manganese, and PFAS if local risk factors apply.

Well-water guide

What not to buy yet

If you checked EWG too

EWG's Tap Water Database is useful because it shows a broader contaminant list and compares results against EWG's own health guidelines, which are often stricter than legal limits. For Cambridge, EWG lists more detected contaminants than the short table above.

Use that as a second view, not as a reason to panic-buy equipment. The practical question is still: which contaminant matters for your household, and what test would confirm it?

View Cambridge on EWG

Want help deciding what to test?

Send your ZIP code, water source, and main concern. We'll send a practical Cambridge water snapshot with official sources and a suggested first test.

Cambridge water quality FAQ

Does the latest city report show violations?

The 2024 Cambridge Consumer Confidence Report lists no violations for the contaminants summarized here. That is good context, but it is still system-level information rather than a test from your kitchen tap.

Should I test for lead?

Yes if the building is older, the plumbing is unknown, you are preparing infant formula, or you want faucet-level certainty. Lead can come from plumbing materials after water leaves the treatment plant.

Should I buy reverse osmosis?

Only if it matches your confirmed concern. Reverse osmosis can be useful for PFAS and some dissolved contaminants, but it is not the right answer for every taste, odor, hardness, or plumbing issue.

Sources checked