waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Norfolk County Water Quality

Norfolk County, Massachusetts

Water Grade

B

Water Score

63.8

Violations

33

State Rank

#10

of 14 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

B

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

63.8/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

33

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

4.3%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Norfolk County

Water Verdict

Norfolk County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 63.8 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring.

Violation Context

Norfolk County has recorded 33 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 4.3 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Norfolk County is generally safe to drink based on available data. Residents should still review their utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for transparency on detected contaminants. With 33 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Norfolk County has poorer water quality than the average county in Massachusetts. Its water score is 5.3 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

82

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

24K

24,294 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Microbiological
  • Nutrient

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

125cfs

May 14, 6:35 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

43%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

CHARLES RIVER AT WELLESLEY, MA

USGS site
01104200
Drainage area
211 sq mi
Long-term mean
293 cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges — this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
Norfolk County, Massachusetts has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 63.8/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 33 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Norfolk County?
Norfolk County has 33 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Norfolk County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 24,294 measurements from 82 monitoring sites in Norfolk County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Microbiological, Nutrient. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Norfolk County right now?
Norfolk County's primary USGS streamgage on the CHARLES RIVER is currently reading 125 cubic feet per second — 43% of the long-term mean of 293.11 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Norfolk County water compare to the Massachusetts average?
Norfolk County's SDWIS water quality score of 63.8/100 is lower than the Massachusetts state average of 69.1. The average water quality grade across Massachusetts is C, based on data from 14 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Norfolk County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Norfolk County has a water quality grade of B (63.8/100). This indicates good to excellent water quality with strong SDWIS compliance. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Why does Norfolk County have so many water violations?
Norfolk County has 33 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Norfolk County rank for water quality in Massachusetts?
Norfolk County ranks #10 out of 14 counties in Massachusetts by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 63.8/100, it falls in the middle third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Worcester County

Massachusetts

B

63.5

Water score

Plymouth County

Massachusetts

B

64.5

Water score

Hampden County

Massachusetts

B

66.4

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP) — federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) — continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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