Is there PFAS in Scituate Water Division tap water?

Yes, and above the federal limit. The highest PFOA or PFOS reading was 5.7 parts per trillion, against a limit of 4.

Scituate Water Division is a public water system in Massachusetts, serving more than 10,000 people. The EPA required almost every system in the country to test for 29 PFAS compounds and published every result. These are that system’s own readings, not an estimate and not ours.

Every compound tested, 4 of 29 found

CompoundHighest readingFederal limitDetected in
PFOS5.7 ppt4 ppt2 of 10 samples
PFOA5.6 ppt4 ppt3 of 10 samples
PFBS3 pptno federal limit1 of 10 samples
PFHxA3 pptno federal limit1 of 10 samples
11Cl-PF3OUdSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
4:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
6:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
8:2 FTSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
9Cl-PF3ONSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
ADONAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
HFPO-DAnot detected10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit0 of 10 samples
NEtFOSAAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
NFDHAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
NMeFOSAAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFBAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFDAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFDoAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFEESAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFHpAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFHpSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFHxSnot detected10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit0 of 10 samples
PFMBAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFMPAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFNAnot detected10 pptEPA has proposed withdrawing this limit0 of 10 samples
PFPeAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFPeSnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFTAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFTrDAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples
PFUnAnot detectedno federal limit0 of 10 samples

Every row is a compound the EPA required this system to test for, whether it was found or not. Readings are the highest single result the system reported. Compliance is judged on an annual average, so one high sample is not by itself a violation. “Not detected” means below the level the laboratory method can measure, which is not the same as zero. Last sample 11/16/2023.

What actually removes it

Boiling does not remove PFAS and concentrates it. Reverse osmosis and certified activated carbon do. These are the highest-graded filters in our database, scored 0 to 100 on the chemistry of the filter itself.

All water filter grades →

ZIP codes this system serves

02061, 02066

Other systems in Massachusetts

Source, the EPA’s fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, final dataset published 2026-10-15. Original data → Figures are the system’s own reported results. Water quality changes, and a result from the monitoring period is not a statement about what is in the tap today.