Chloride in Massachusetts well water
In Massachusetts, chloride was detected in 100% of 9,288 tested private well samples.
Chloride mainly comes from road salt and water softener discharge. Above 250 mg/L water tastes salty and corrodes plumbing. Rising chloride in a well usually means road salt is reaching the aquifer.
Check your chloride number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Massachusetts well for chloride
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
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Systems that remove chloride
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Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For chloride
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where to get a well tested for chloride in Massachusetts: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit; counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | no limit | 364 | 100% | 16 | 560 mg/L |
| Berkshire | no limit | 122 | 100% | 5.15 | 500 mg/L |
| Bristol | no limit | 48 | 100% | 16.5 | 236 mg/L |
| Essex | no limit | 336 | 100% | 58 | 650 mg/L |
| Franklin | no limit | 54 | 100% | 6.05 | 325 mg/L |
| Hampden | no limit | 94 | 100% | 14.2 | 633 mg/L |
| Middlesex | no limit | 653 | 100% | 62 | 11,500 mg/L |
| Norfolk | no limit | 208 | 100% | 90.5 | 2,400 mg/L |
| Barnstable | no limit | 3,760 | 100% | 19 | 20,000 mg/L |
| Plymouth | no limit | 3,576 | 100% | 12 | 800 mg/L |
- Orleans, Barnstable County100% detected of 658
- Sandwich, Barnstable County100% detected of 268
- Barnstable Town, Barnstable County100% detected of 328
- Chatham, Barnstable County100% detected of 94
- Harwich, Barnstable County100% detected of 144
- Truro, Barnstable County100% detected of 174
- Yarmouth, Barnstable County100% detected of 319
- Wellfleet, Barnstable County100% detected of 30
- Brewster, Barnstable County100% detected of 50
- Eastham, Barnstable County100% detected of 34
- Dennis, Barnstable County100% detected of 277
- Mashpee, Barnstable County100% detected of 88
- Falmouth, Barnstable County100% detected of 1,097
- Bourne, Barnstable County100% detected of 198
- Chelmsford, Middlesex County100% detected of 262
- Newton, Middlesex County100% detected of 103
- Wayland, Middlesex County100% detected of 115
- Canton, Norfolk County100% detected of 115
- Plymouth, Plymouth County100% detected of 1,773
- Wareham, Plymouth County100% detected of 1,653
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. chloride counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.