Well water testing in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
What official data says about private wells in Middlesex County, what to test for, and the state-certified labs nearby.
About 7% of the county's 1,585,139 residents. Rank 2 of 14 in Massachusetts.
95% range 4,435 to 8,478 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 2 of 14 in Massachusetts.
Highest potential (average indoor radon may be greater than 4 pCi/L). EPA says the map should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing.
Labs with an address in this county, from the official state lists on this site, matched by ZIP code.
What to test for in Middlesex County
Private wells are not regulated like public water: EPA advises owners to test their well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. Your state's own schedule:
- MassDEP recommends testing coliform bacteria and nitrate/nitrite first and then at least once a year. It recommends testing arsenic, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, manganese, pH, sodium, radon, VOCs, PFAS6 and (bedrock wells only) a gross alpha screen first and then at least once every ten years, unless your local Board of Health requires otherwise. source
- MassDEP and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommend that all homeowners test their wells for arsenic and radionuclides such as uranium. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 6,189 people using private wells in Middlesex County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 4,435 to 8,478). USGS describes this kind of estimate as useful "for broad screening of the population at risk", so it says nothing certain about any one well. Arsenic has no taste or smell: test for it by name.
Radon. EPA puts Middlesex County in Zone 1: highest potential (average indoor radon may be greater than 4 pCi/L). That map is about radon in indoor air, and EPA says it should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing. If radon is found in your air and you have a well, EPA suggests testing the water too: see radon in well water.
For anything specific to your home (farms nearby, old plumbing, a new baby, a smell or stain), use the which-tests checklist. When the results arrive, check your numbers against EPA's limits.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 12,238 people (2010 base year) | |
| Middlesex County (this county) | 6,189 people (2010 base year) | |
| Hampden County | 3,256 people (2010 base year) | |
| Hampshire County | 2,255 people (2010 base year) | |
| Essex County | 2,067 people (2010 base year) | |
| Franklin County | 1,287 people (2010 base year) |
USGS model estimate for broad screening, not a measurement of any well. Only a test tells you about your own well. Source: USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017), accessed 2026-11-01.
PFAS in public water near Middlesex County (public supply, not your well)
This is public water data, not your well. A private well draws its own groundwater, which can have more or less PFAS than the public supply nearby. Only a test of your well tells you.
Under EPA’s fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), public water systems sampled their water for 29 PFAS between Jan 3, 2023 and Jun 17, 2026. 55 public systems that serve ZIP codes mainly in Middlesex County reported results. 24 of them had at least one sample with PFOA or PFOS at or above 4.0 ng/L, and 33 had at least one of the 29 PFAS measured at or above its reporting level.
| Public water system | System ID | Highest PFOA (ng/L) | Highest PFOS (ng/L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natick Water Department | MA3198000 | 14.3 | 37.3 |
| Acton Water Supply District | MA2002000 | 13.4 | 4.9 |
| Pepperell Dpw Water Division | MA2232000 | 11.4 | 10 |
| Sudbury Water District | MA3288000 | 9 | |
| Wayland Water Department | MA3315000 | 9 | 4 |
4.0 ng/L (parts per trillion) is both EPA’s UCMR 5 reporting level for PFOA and PFOS and the number in EPA’s 2024 limit for public water. That limit is judged on a running annual average, so one sample at that level is not a violation. EPA proposed changes to its PFAS rules in May 2026: see PFAS in well water for the current status and who should test a well. To test your own well, find a lab certified for PFAS.
Method: a system counts for this county when it reports serving a ZIP code whose largest land part is in this county, so a system serving several counties counts in each. Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data (by state), file dated Oct 15, 2026; downloaded Nov 1, 2026.
Testing programs and help in Massachusetts
- Local Boards of Health regulate private wells in Massachusetts and may adopt their own well rules, including water quality testing. MassDEP says to contact your Board of Health first to see which tests your town requires. source
Buying a home with a well in Middlesex County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Middlesex County, MA
- VA. Test results are valid for 90 days from the date the local health authority certifies them, unless the local authority says otherwise. VA’s chapter names no list of contaminants: the water must meet the local health authority’s requirements, or EPA guidelines where it has none. Your lender may ask for specific tests.
- FHA. A well test is required in the situations FHA’s handbook lists, among others, and the report may not be more than 180 days old at disbursement.
- USDA. Guaranteed loans need a water quality test for a private well, done by the local health authority or a state-certified lab, and no more than 180 days old at closing.
Lenders can ask for more (extra tests, a particular lab, who takes the sample): ask your lender before you book. Federal rules as read on Nov 3, 2026 source 1 source 2 source 3. Full comparison: VA, FHA and USDA well water test requirements. Loan test kits sold by mail, with price and days to results: kits compared.
State-certified labs in Middlesex County
Pace Analytical Services, LLC - Woburn
22 Cummings Park, Woburn, MAPublic samples: yes (per state)Cambridge Water Department Laboratory
250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge, MANot marked as taking public samplesNashoba Analytical
31A Willow Rd., Ayer, MAPublic samples: yes (per state)Practical Applications
8 Adele Rd, Woburn, MAPublic samples: yes (per state)See all Massachusetts labs in the finder and filter by the test you need and by labs that take homeowner samples.
- USGS, Estimated use of water in the United States, county-level data for 2015 (Dieter et al., ver. 2.0, 2018)
- USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017)
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to county relationship file (lab ZIP codes to counties)
- MassDEP Certified Laboratories Offering Analytical Services for Private Well Owners and Residential Customers (Created and published on 12/18/2025)
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