PFOA in Massachusetts well water
In Massachusetts, 19% of 1,793 private wells tested between 2020 and 2023 had PFOA above the EPA limit (4 ng/L), according to MassDEP.
PFOA is a forever chemical from firefighting foam, industrial discharge and consumer products. It builds up in the body and is linked to kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, immune effects and low birth weight.
Check your PFOA number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit and the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Massachusetts well for PFOA
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 PFOA
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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 PFOA
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For PFOA
Whole-house PFAS carbon system
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $3,000
Granular activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS; replace media on schedule.
For PFOA
Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis
under-sink or countertop, about $225
Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.
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 PFOA in Massachusetts: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from homeowner tests
Share of private wells above the state guidance level (4 ng/L) in tests homeowners sent to the state lab, 2020 to 2023.
Towns with the highest share above the state level
- Tyngsborough, Middlesex County71% of 51 wells
- Carlisle, Middlesex County64% of 55 wells
- Newbury, Essex County53% of 32 wells
- Boxborough, Middlesex County45% of 49 wells
- Carver, Plymouth County44% of 36 wells
- Sherborn, Middlesex County42% of 43 wells
- Shutesbury, Franklin County33% of 46 wells
- Stow, Middlesex County30% of 50 wells
- Rehoboth, Bristol County25% of 44 wells
- Westport, Bristol County23% of 43 wells
- Nantucket, Nantucket County23% of 48 wells
- Harvard, Worcester County22% of 32 wells
- Granby, Hampshire County21% of 33 wells
- Leverett, Franklin County16% of 43 wells
- Lakeville, Plymouth County16% of 45 wells
- West Tisbury, Dukes County15% of 46 wells
- Wellfleet, Barnstable County15% of 48 wells
- Pelham, Hampshire County10% of 39 wells
- Princeton, Worcester County9% of 32 wells
- Boxford, Essex County9% of 35 wells
- Westhampton, Hampshire County6% of 34 wells
- Truro, Barnstable County6% of 35 wells
- Wendell, Franklin County5% of 41 wells
- Richmond, Berkshire County3% of 34 wells
- New Salem, Franklin County3% of 39 wells
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (4 ng/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable | 113 | 86% | 19 | 13,700 ng/L |
Sources
- MassDEP Private Well PFAS Sampling Program: Private well PFAS results from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection free sampling program, 2020 to 2023, one anonymized row per well. Shares are against the EPA limit for each compound (4 ng/L for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ng/L for PFHxS and PFNA). Massachusetts applies its own PFAS6 standard of 20 ng/L to the sum of six compounds; that sum is not a contaminant page here. Zero means not detected. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. PFOA counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.
Analysis: PFAS in private wells: known sources versus routine testing, from the same public records.