Important Information About Lead in Your Drinking Water

The drinking water provided by Ayer DPW Water Division is lead-free when it leaves the two Water Treatment Plants. However, lead can get into tap water though lead service lines, lead solder used in plumbing, and some brass fixtures. The DPW treats your water to make it less corrosive, thereby reducing the leaching of lead from your plumbing into your drinking water. Since installing treatment in 2012 to make the water less corrosive, samples have been below the EPA Action level.

To monitor lead levels, Ayer DPW Water Division tests tap water in homes that are most likely to have lead in their plumbing systems. These homes are usually older homes that may have lead solder or fixtures with lead content and they must be tested after water has been sitting overnight. Ayer tests these homes twice a year.

In November 2020, the Ayer DPW completed the construction of new treatment facility to remove PFAS chemicals from the Grove Pond water supply. The PFAS treatment system can result in more corrosive water. This was anticipated and the treatment process includes additional corrosion control chemicals. We are in the process of optimizing the new treatment process. However, due to this treatment change, lead levels found in sample tests of tap water taken in the Spring of 2021 are above the EPA Action level.

For more information, please see our informational brochure.