Protecting Norwell's drinking water, one household at a time

What's really in your tap water?

Norwell's water comes entirely from ten town-owned groundwater wells, split across three treatment plants: South Street, Grove Street, and Washington Street. All three feed the same distribution system — as Water Superintendent Jason Federico put it at a 2025 budget meeting, "all that water goes into the same hose."

In spring 2024, the town finished a $2.34 million upgrade at the South Street plant that removes PFAS entirely at that location. But water from the Washington Street wells has been trending the other way: it has exceeded the state's PFAS6 drinking water standard in recent testing, most recently confirmed in a public notice dated April 1, 2026.

Source: Norwell Water Department PFAS6 Public Notice, April 1, 2026, and Capital Budget Committee minutes, March 17, 2025. See the full breakdown on the Water data page.