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Not health advice. Contact your local water utility for concerns.
Data from EPA Water Quality Reports. For official information, contact your water utility or health department.
Side-by-side EPA records for the two public water systems · EPA SDWIS/ECHO 2026Q2 · UCMR5 (2023–2026, July 2026 release) · SYR4 six-year review 2012–2019 · methodology
Boston has the better EPA record — grade C (77/100) vs grade D (69/100).
BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION (MWRA) · serves 675,647
PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT · serves 1,600,000
| Metric | Boston | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Grade / score | C · 77/100 | D · 69/100 |
| Health-based EPA violations, last 5 yrs | 0 | 0 |
| Health-based violations unresolved | 1 | 0 |
| Monitoring / reporting violations, last 5 yrs | 0 | 5 |
| Lead 90th percentile (action level 15 ppb) | 5.8 ppb (2026–2026) | 2 ppb (2025–2025) |
| PFAS detected (UCMR5 2023–2026) | None detected | PFBA, PFBS, PFHpA, PFHxA, PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, PFPeA — PFOA/PFOS ≥ 4 ppt |
| Primary water source | Purchased surface water | Surface water |
| Population served | 675,647 | 1,600,000 |
| EPA PWSID | MA3035000 | PA1510001 |
Green = the better value where the two systems differ. Lead and PFAS figures describe water leaving the plant, not any individual tap.
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Boston — it scores 77/100 (grade C) against 69/100 (grade D) on EPA records. Neither system has a health-based EPA violation in the last five years
Boston grades C (77/100): no health-based EPA violations in the last five years, lead 90th percentile 5.8 ppb, no PFAS detected.
Philadelphia grades D (69/100): no health-based EPA violations in the last five years, lead 90th percentile 2 ppb, PFAS detected (PFBA, PFBS, PFHpA, PFHxA, PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, PFPeA).