Medford Community Letter 2021

Download your report and letter.

This 2021 Drinking Water Report provides information to residents of Medford on their water supply. Medford works in partnership with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to communicate where your water comes from, how it is treated and tested, and how we get it to your tap. We know that consumers today have a deep interest in the quality and cost of water. Our hope is that this report and other publications you receive help you better understand your water system. In this report we discuss improvements to the physical system itself, and inform you about the quality of your drinking water.

Medford’s Department of Public Works maintains the water distribution system that consists of a network of pipes, valves, hydrants, and service lines. This system takes water from the MWRA system and delivers water to homes, businesses, and other facilities in Medford for drinking, commercial uses, and fire protection. The City is constantly improving the system, replacing mains when necessary. Our water crews are working every day watching out for water system leaks, checking and verifying pressures, replacing faulty meters, and flushing pipelines to keep the water as clean as possible.

Lead and Copper Results for Medford

We receive many inquiries about lead in the drinking water. The simple answer is there is no lead in the MWRA water supply; however, lead can enter your tap water through contact with brass fixtures (which contain lead in the alloy), older lead solder, old lead plumbing in the house, or in the service line that runs from the water main to your house. Each year, the Medford Water Department tests tap water in homes that are likely to have high lead levels – usually homes with lead service lines or lead solder. The EPA rule requires that 9 out of 10, or 90%, of these sampled homes, must have lead levels below the Action Level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).The Medford Water Department’s 90th percentile level for lead in 2021 was 21.2 ppb (3 of 15 homes over), which was above the Action Level for lead. Studies have shown that infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure Our 90th percentile copper level was 134 ppb, well below the 1300 ppb Action Level. Medford carried out required public notification regarding the exceedance and additional actions. In the Spring of 2022, Medford was required to carry out an additional round of lead sampling. The 90th percentile was 7.67 ppb, well below the lead Action Level.

Medford has also documented partial and full replacements of lead service lines and has submitted copies to Mass DEP. In addition, we have compiled documentation including addresses and associated tie cards to confirm these as full or partial replacements. Based on this information, our maximum number of lead services is currently estimated to be 781. After we complete our water service database, we will be able to further refine this number. We are required to remove 17% of our remaining lead services each year. We plan to replace at least 133 services between November 1, 2021 through October 31, 2022.

Based on recent and expanding knowledge about health impacts from lead in water, Medford has enacted a program that will provide incentive for more homeowners to replace lead lines located on private property. Using an MWRA loan, we are offering homeowners a rebate of $1,000. This rebate will apply only if a homeowner first hires a licensed and bonded contractor who satisfactorily completes the work, and second, submits the required documents. This is a long-term program; our goal is to help all homeowners who wish to remove their lead water services. If you need assistance identifying the type of pipe in your basement, you can call Joseph Sousa, LCR Coordinator, Medford Water Division at (617) 784-7507. Once lead is confirmed, you can reach out to Carmella Donato (Engineering) at (781) 393-2474 or ccdonato@medford-ma.gov.

Medford also routinely collects water samples within the distribution system at 17 sample sites four times per month. Testing results on these samples provides the Water Division an overview of the overall health of the distribution system. The MassDEP and EPA require that no more than 5% of the samples in a month test positive for total coliform. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, waterborne pathogens may be present or a pathway or source may allow contamination to enter the drinking water distribution system. Following routine water sampling in September, we detected total coliform indicating the need to look for potential problems in water treatment or piping systems. We were required to conduct and completed a Level 1 Assessment, to identify potential problems, and to determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found. We completed the Level 1 Assessment.

The Medford Water Division hopes you find this report informative and useful. If you have any questions regarding this report or any other water related questions, you can call, Joseph Sousa, LCR Coordinator Water & Sewer Division at (617) 784-7507 If you are interested in attending a public meeting, please contact Chairperson Domenic Camarra at (781) 393-2474. For emergency water and sewer calls, please call (781) 393-2403, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Updated June 14, 2022