Somerset Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Somerset Water Department serves approximately 18,981 residents in Somerset, Bristol County, Massachusetts, primarily from the Somerset Reservoir (PWS #10390S) and its adjacent treatment plant. Water filling the reservoir originates from rainfall, Labor in Vain Brook streamflow, and pumping from a station on the Segregansett River in Dighton. A small percentage of supply also comes from the Dighton well field groundwater sources. The department can be reached at 508-646-2818 or 508-674-4215 (mailing: 3249 County St, Somerset, MA 02726) or at townofsomerset.org/waterdepartment, where annual Consumer Confidence Reports are published.

The watershed encompasses protected town-owned lands around the Somerset Reservoir in Somerset and Dighton, rated high susceptibility by MADEP due to surface water vulnerability. The Segregansett River and Labor in Vain Brook drain a glaciated terrain of Pleistocene deposits — glacial till and outwash — over Carboniferous-age volcanic and sedimentary bedrock including the Mattapan Volcanic Complex and Roxbury Conglomerate. Limited mineral leaching from these granitic, low-carbonate soils and short-residence surface flows produces a characteristically soft water supply with minimal dissolved calcium and magnesium.

Soft water minimizes scale buildup on fixtures, extending the life of water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines with little need for descaling. Soap lathers easily, reducing detergent use, though the water may feel slippery and can slightly corrode pipes in older plumbing over decades without a protective scale layer. No softener is needed. The 2023 Consumer Confidence Report details over 1,400 tests confirming regulatory compliance via filtration treatment; contaminants above EPA MCLGs include fluoride, vanadium, and dichlorofluoromethane, and 10 MCL violations have been recorded historically — check the latest CCR at townofsomerset.org and consult MADEP ratings on Dighton well susceptibility.