Arlington's Drinking Water Earns Clean Bill Of Health

ARLINGTON, MA — Residents can continue drinking their tap water with confidence, according to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's latest annual water quality report.

The report, which was recently mailed to households throughout the town, found Arlington's drinking water once again meets every state and federal drinking water standard. It also outlines progress on the town's lead service line replacement program and other water infrastructure improvements completed over the past year.

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Arlington annually tests water from 20 high-risk properties for lead and copper. All samples collected in 2025 remained below state and federal action levels, with no homes exceeding either standard. While the town notes there is no lead in its water supply, lead can enter drinking water through older plumbing materials, lead solder, or aging service lines connected to homes.

The report also highlights continued progress in identifying and replacing older water service lines. Arlington reduced the number of service lines with unknown materials by more than 1,200 during 2025, lowering the total from 3,585 to 2,337. The town also reduced the number of known lead service lines to just three, all of which are scheduled to be investigated and, if necessary, replaced this year as part of its no-cost lead line removal program.

Beyond the local results, the MWRA reported that drinking water supplied to Arlington and its other member communities met every state and federal safety standard in 2025. Water supplied to the town originates from the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs before being treated and monitored through hundreds of thousands of water quality tests each year. According to the authority, its corrosion control program has reduced lead levels in higher-risk homes by nearly 90 percent since 1996.

The report also provides updates on several local water system projects. Arlington replaced aging water mains along Pleasant Street between Route 2 and Irving Street during 2025 with assistance from the MWRA's Local Water System Assistance Program. Construction is expected to continue between Irving Street and Massachusetts Avenue this year. The Department of Public Works also replaced 345 water meters last year as part of its ongoing townwide meter replacement program.

According to the Department of Public Works, Arlington receives all of its drinking water from the MWRA and delivered approximately 1.22 billion gallons of water to residential, municipal, and commercial customers in 2025 through roughly 130 miles of water mains and more than 12,700 service connections.

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