Reader reports, South Coast tap water
Tell us about your tap water
Does water come out of your faucets brown, black or cloudy, or are you changing filters far more often than you should? We would love to hear from you, wherever you live on the South Coast.
Why we are asking
At Mattapoisett's special town meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, residents described brown and black tap water, clogged filters and stained fixtures at their homes, and asked the town to fix the water first. One North Street family said a whole house filter meant to last six months now has to be replaced every two months, and the home we visited changes its filter every three to four weeks.
The town's report on its 2025 water says the water meets federal and state standards, and that iron and manganese can sometimes show up as brown or reddish water, which the report calls not harmful. We want to know how far this reaches, in Mattapoisett and in every other South Coast town, and what you tell us helps us ask the right questions of the people in charge.
If you missed it, our story is here: Mattapoisett voters reject $3.96 million water building as residents describe brown and black tap water
What helps us most
- Your town, and your street or neighborhood, with no house number needed
- What the water looks like, and whether it is worse at certain times of day
- How long it has been going on, and how often you see it
- How often you change your filter, if you use one, and how long it is supposed to last
- Whether you have reported it to your water department, and what they told you
- A photo of the water, a used filter or a stained fixture, if you have one
Many of the people who have written to us about their water asked us to keep their names out, and we did. You can ask the same by checking the box on the form, and we will keep your name out of anything we publish. We never print your email, your phone number or your house number.