Lowell
Lowell, MA water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
lowell regional water utility
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID MA3160000
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Lowell is a mid-sized city and the 5th-largest in Massachusetts, home to roughly 110,699 residents. Lowell's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Massachusetts: Quabbin Reservoir, rivers, and groundwater.
As elsewhere in Massachusetts, the central challenge is aging infrastructure. The Quabbin system gives Boston a robust supply, while smaller systems wrestle with PFAS and lead pipes.
Massachusetts reuses an estimated 4% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Lowell tracks moderate to severe drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Massachusetts profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Lowell below.
Middlesex County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~110,699 (5th-largest in Massachusetts)
- Primary sources: Quabbin Reservoir, rivers, and groundwater
- Drought: moderate to severe conditions
- State reuse rate: ~4% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Massachusetts in severe+ drought (Severe (D2) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Lowell?
Lowell's largest water system, LOWELL REGIONAL WATER UTILITY, serves about 115,000 people. EPA records show 1 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Lowell get its water?
LOWELL REGIONAL WATER UTILITY draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Massachusetts's supply from Quabbin Reservoir, rivers, groundwater.
Related water issues
Aging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
ExplorePFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
Explore