Photo: Grk1011/Stephen · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Melrose, MA: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2021 is still open for Melrose Water Division (Mwra), and its latest lead result (10.2 ppb) was higher than 98% of similar systems’, though under the 15 ppb action level. Elections in Melrose are run by Melrose itself; register with the Melrose City Clerk.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Melrose, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Melrose.
Power comes from Eversource
Eversource (NSTAR Electric Co., doing business as Eversource), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Melrose. Its homes paid an average of 21.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $102 a month (its average across Massachusetts, for customers on its standard service). Massachusetts lets you buy power from another supplier; 76% of Eversource’s home customers do, and Eversource still delivers it.
Start or move service: nstar.com · (800) 592-2000
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Melrose Water Division (Mwra)
Melrose Water Division (Mwra) supplies almost all of Melrose. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Mwra as seller) and serves 29,938 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), beginning Nov 2021. 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people had none. 1 older violation is still open, since 2021: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 10.2 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 21.3 ppb. That’s higher than 98% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MA3178000.
6 home internet providers serve Melrose
100% of 7,886 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 95% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 2,000/250 |
| Verizon | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 98% | 2,300/2,300 |
| Astound Broadband | Cable | 2% | 1,500/50 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 72% | 100/20 |
| Netafy | Fixed wireless | 72% | 476/106 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 32% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Melrose depends on your street
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Melrose, from the town’s own site.
Your pickup week
- TrashEvery week, on your street’s dayFind your street’s day on cityofmelrose.org →
- RecyclingEvery week
- Bulky itemsCall to book
DPW Recycling Center (the City Yard)
72 Tremont Street, Melrose, MA 02176
- Mon7:30 am–2:45 pm
- Tue7:30 am–2:45 pm
- Thu7:30 am–2:45 pm
- Sat8 am–3 pm
Cost: Free vehicle sticker
Single-stream recycling
All your recyclables go in one bin, no sorting.
- Cardboard (flattened)
- Brown paper bags
- Cereal boxes
- Office paper
- Newspapers
- Magazines, phone books, catalogs, junk mail
- Pizza boxes (including greasy side)
- Plastic containers (bottles, jugs, tubs)
- Glass jars and bottles
- Aluminum and metal cans
From cityofmelrose.org, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated July 1, 2024, July 1, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Melrose is in Melrose School District.
A−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Melrose is in ZIP code 02176
ZIP codes where Melrose residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Melrose | ZIP’s residents in Melrose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02176 | Melrose, MA | 100% | 100% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Melrose
Who supplies Melrose’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Melrose Water Division (Mwra) (EPA ID MA3178000). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule). 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 10.2 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Melrose?
Eversource (NSTAR Electric Co., doing business as Eversource), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 21.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Melrose?
Xfinity, Verizon, Astound Broadband, T-Mobile, Netafy, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Melrose?
02176. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Melrose in?
Melrose School District.
How do I register to vote in Melrose?
In Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Melrose City Clerk. Check your registration at sec.state.ma.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Melrose’s own website (cityofmelrose.org), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.