Water Quality Test Results

Water Quality Test Results
Testing of drinking water for a number of potential contaminants is governed at the federal level by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and at the state level by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).  The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), enacted in the 1970's, establishes the list of potential contaminants the Water Department must test for, as well as the frequency of that testing.

Drinking water contaminants are categorized into six broad groups:

Microorganisms
North Reading collects 21 samples per month from specified locations across Town and has these samples analyzed for Total Coliform bacteria.  The raw (untreated) water and the finish (treated) water at the three town drinking water sources are also tested monthly for Total Coliform bacteria.

Disinfectants
North Reading and Andover both add Chlorine as a disinfectant to the drinking water.  North Reading samples the Chlorine Residual in the water from the same locations as the Coliform bacteria samples are collected, for a total of 21 samples per month.

Disinfection Byproducts
The addition of disinfectants - such as Chlorine - to the drinking water can lead to the formation of "Disinfection Byproducts" in the water.  North Reading monitors for Haloacetic Acids (HAAs) and Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) from four locations in the water distribution system every three months.

Inorganic Compounds
North Reading samples for 16 different Inorganic Compounds at our drinking water sources every three years, as required under the SDWA.  In addition, water from 30 homes and two of the schools in North Reading is tested for Lead and Copper every three years. Additional samples for Manganese, Nitrate, Nitrite and Perchlorate are collected on a frequency ranging from quarterly to every three years.

Organic Compounds
North Reading samples for two different classes of Organic Compounds:  Volatile Organic Compounds, which consists of 21 Regulated and 35 Unregulated potential drinking water contaminants, sampled at the drinking water sources on an annual basis; and Synthetic Organic Compounds, which consists of 32 Regulated and 13 Unregulated potential drinking water contaminants, sampled at the

Radionuclides
North Reading is required to sample for Gross Alpha Particle Activity and for Radium 226 and Radium 228 at the drinking water sources once every nine years.

The links below connect to the most recent sample results for each of these potenital drinking water contaminants.