By Sean Conway
Across the South Shore, I’ve seen a noticeable shift over the past year, more homeowners are asking questions about their water. With recent concerns in communities like Bridgewater, that increased attention isn’t surprising. What is surprising, though, is how little most people are actually told about what’s in their water and how it can change before it reaches their home.
There’s a common assumption that if water meets municipal standards, it’s completely clean. In reality, those standards are designed to reduce risk, not eliminate every potential contaminant, and they don’t always reflect what happens as water travels through miles of infrastructure and into individual plumbing systems.
By the time water reaches your tap, its quality can be very different from when it left the treatment facility.
Massachusetts, like much of the Northeast, is dealing with a combination of aging infrastructure and emerging contaminants. In recent years, dozens of communities across the state have reported detections of PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they persist in both the environment and the human body. These compounds have been associated in scientific research with potential long-term health effects, including impacts on immune function, liver health, and increased risk of certain cancers with prolonged exposure.
While Massachusetts has adopted some of the strictest PFAS regulations in the country, treatment systems are still catching up. Removing these types of contaminants at scale is complex, and not every facility is fully equipped to do so consistently.
Infrastructure is another major factor. Much of the piping network delivering water to homes is decades old, and in some cases significantly older. As water moves through these systems, it can interact with pipe materials and internal buildup, contributing to the presence of metals such as lead and copper, particularly in older homes. Even at low levels, long-term exposure to lead is linked to neurological and developmental issues, especially in children, which is why even trace amounts are taken seriously.
Then there’s the role of disinfection. Municipalities rely on chlorine or chloramine to eliminate harmful bacteria, which is essential for public health. But these disinfectants don’t simply disappear. They remain in the water as it enters homes, and in some cases can form byproducts when they react with organic material. For homeowners, this often shows up as changes in taste or odor, but it can also contribute to skin and hair irritation and gradually impact plumbing components over time.
One of the most common issues I see, especially across the South Shore, is hard water. This is caused by elevated levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium. It’s not considered a direct health risk, but its impact on a home can be significant. Mineral scaling builds up inside pipes, water heaters, and appliances, reducing efficiency, increasing energy usage, and shortening equipment lifespan. Over time, it leads to higher operating costs and premature system failures problems most homeowners don’t initially connect to their water.
What makes all of this challenging is that many of these issues are not obvious. You can’t see PFAS. You may not taste metals at low levels. And by the time you notice scale buildup or appliance wear, the underlying water conditions have usually been affecting your home for years.
Over the past year, I’ve been involved in conversations surrounding local water concerns, including in Bridgewater. That’s included speaking with residents, engaging with state representatives, and connecting with leadership from Brita’s research and development team to better understand both the scope of these challenges and how solutions can be applied at the local level.
In my work, I also rely heavily on the experience of our team, including a master plumber who served more than 30 years as a Boston plumbing inspector. That perspective is critical because it bridges the gap between what meets regulatory standards and what actually impacts homes over time.
The goal here isn’t to create alarm, it’s to provide clarity. In many cases, water quality falls within acceptable ranges. But “acceptable” doesn’t always mean optimal, and it doesn’t always account for the specific conditions inside an individual home.
If there’s one thing I encourage homeowners to do, it’s simple: don’t assume, test. A comprehensive water test gives you a clear understanding of what’s actually present, allowing you to make informed decisions based on real data.
Water is one of the most consistent inputs into our daily lives. Understanding its quality isn’t excessive, it’s just part of being an informed homeowner.
Sean Conway is the owner of CleanTap Water Solutions, a locally owned company based in Braintree and Mansfield, serving the South Shore and surrounding Massachusetts communities, specializing in plumbing and water filtration.