Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts
Tap water in NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts receives a grade of F (47/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by CITY OF NEW BEDFORD DPI. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in NEW BEDFORD's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving NEW BEDFORD.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 47.5 ppb, 792x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 39.5 ppb, 395x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 40.9 ppb, 273x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Recommended filters for NEW BEDFORD
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in NEW BEDFORD's water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
All contaminants detected in NEW BEDFORD's tap water
Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
47.5 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 792× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
39.5 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 395× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
40.9 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 273× over |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
0.162 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 162× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
13.2 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 132× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
24.3 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 121× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.78 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 96× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
35.2 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 88× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
2.03 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 23× over |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) PFAS |
0.054 ppt | 0.006 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 9.0× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.393 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.9× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.659 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 2.2× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.0341 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.7× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
148.4 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0163 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum Heavy metal |
166.5 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
20.3 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.0236 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | Below guideline |
| N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetic acid (N-EtFOSAA) PFAS |
0.126 ppt | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA) PFAS |
0.101 ppt | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.245 ppb | 3.0 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.17 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 11-chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS) Other |
0.025 ppt | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.264 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
7.18 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0911 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.806 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.738 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
0.162 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0284 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.775 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from CITY OF NEW BEDFORD DPI.