Home hazard report for 02113 — Boston, MA
ZIP 02113 is served by Boston Water and Sewer Commission (MWRA): 1 violation since 2016, latest lead result 5.8 ppb, PFAS not detected. Suffolk County is in EPA radon zone 3.
Health-based violations since 2016: Lead and Copper Rule. 1 is still listed as unresolved in EPA records.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2026). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
None of the tested PFAS were found above EPA’s reporting limits in 2023–2025.
Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.
FEMA’s overall natural-hazard risk for this census tract, relative to the rest of the U.S.
The nearest active Superfund site is 8.5 miles away.
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Where ZIP 02113 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Boston Water and Sewer Commission (MWRA)
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule | 1 |
A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its legal limit (MCL) or a required treatment technique was not met, as reported by the state to EPA’s SDWIS. 1 still listed as unresolved (“unaddressed” or “addressed” but not yet returned to compliance); the latest began Nov 2020.
Lead
90th-percentile lead per sampling round (90% of the homes sampled were at or below this level). Black line: EPA’s 15 ppb action level; under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements the action level becomes 10 ppb from 2027.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
| Compound | Highest result | Samples with detection | EPA limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFBA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFPeA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFBS | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFOS | not detected | 0 of 4 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFHpA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFHxS | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
| PFOA | not detected | 0 of 4 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFHxA | not detected | 0 of 4 | — |
EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), samples 2023–2025; ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). The 4.0 ppt maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS were set by EPA in 2024; water systems have until the end of the decade to comply.
Radon in Suffolk County
EPA radon zone 3 — low potential. Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas from soil and rock, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above and considering it from 2 pCi/L. A short-term test kit costs about $15–30. How radon zones work →
Natural hazard risk
FEMA rates the overall natural-hazard risk of this neighborhood (census tract) as Very Low, with very low social vulnerability and very high community resilience.
FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025): expected annual losses from each hazard combined with social vulnerability and community resilience, rated relative to all U.S. census tracts. Hazards not listed are not applicable here. It describes the area, not a single building; flood insurance maps (FEMA FIRMs) decide flood-insurance requirements.
Live conditions: river gauges and flood levels · tornado warnings · wildfire detections · earthquakes — our sister maps, updated from NOAA, USGS and NASA every few minutes.
Superfund sites nearby
| Site | Status | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Materials Technology Laboratory (USARMY) Watertown, Massachusetts · EPA ID MA0213820939 | Cleaned up & deleted | 5.7 mi |
| Lower Neponset River Boston, Milton, Massachusetts · EPA ID MAN000102204 | Active (final NPL) | 8.5 mi |
| Wells G&H Woburn, Massachusetts · EPA ID MAD980732168 | Active (final NPL) | 9.7 mi |
EPA Superfund National Priorities List (NPL): the country’s most serious known hazardous-waste sites, each with an EPA cleanup record (linked). Distance is measured from the ZIP center to the site’s reference point; being near a site does not by itself mean exposure — EPA site pages describe what was found and how it is being cleaned up.
What this is — and isn’t. These are records your water utility and state reported to the EPA, and the EPA’s radon map for your county. They describe the system and the area, not the water from your own tap or the air in your home. For that, read your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report and test: lead and radon tests are inexpensive.
Questions about 02113
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 02113?
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (MWRA) (EPA ID MA3035000), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 675,647 people.
Is there lead in Boston, MA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2026) was 5.8 ppb; EPA’s action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb from 2027. Lead mostly comes from service lines and home plumbing, so the only way to know your tap is to test it.
Does Boston, MA water have PFAS?
None of the tested PFAS were found above EPA’s reporting limits in 2023–2025.
Has the water system in 02113 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Lead and Copper Rule. 1 is still listed as unresolved in EPA records.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 02113?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Very Low; the highest-rated hazards are cold wave (relatively low), heat wave (relatively low), hurricane (relatively low).
Are there Superfund sites near 02113?
The nearest active Superfund site is 8.5 miles away. Sites within 10 miles: Materials Technology Laboratory (USARMY) (5.7 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Lower Neponset River (8.5 mi, Active (final NPL)); Wells G&H (9.7 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Suffolk County?
Suffolk County is in EPA radon zone 3 (low potential). Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.