Home hazard report for 02204 — Boston, MA
ZIP 02204 is served by Boston Water and Sewer Commission (MWRA) (as listed by the state): 1 violation since 2016, latest lead result 5.8 ppb, PFAS not detected. Suffolk 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.
No active Superfund site within 10 miles of the ZIP center.
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Where ZIP 02204 is
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
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 →
Superfund sites nearby
No site on EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List lies within 10 miles of the center of this ZIP code.
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 02204
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 02204?
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (MWRA) (EPA ID MA3035000), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 675,647 people, listed by the state as serving this ZIP code.
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 02204 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Lead and Copper Rule. 1 is still listed as unresolved in EPA records.
Are there Superfund sites near 02204?
No active Superfund site within 10 miles of the ZIP center.
Is radon a problem in Suffolk?
Suffolk 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.