Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Needham, MA: what to set up and who to call
Needham Water Dept has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 5.0 ppb, was higher than 90% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). Needham has its own drop-off, Composting Area at Needham Recycling and Transfer Stateion.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Needham, 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 Needham.
Power comes from Eversource
Eversource (NSTAR Electric Co., doing business as Eversource), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Needham. 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 Needham Water Dept
Needham Water Dept supplies almost all of Needham. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Mwra as seller) and serves 31,664 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 5.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 90% 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. MA3199000.
5 home internet providers serve Needham
100% of 9,416 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 95% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 100% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Verizon | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 97% | 2,300/2,300 |
| Astound Broadband | Cable, Fiber | 96% | 1,500/50 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 46% | 100/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 39% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Needham
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Needham, from the town’s own site.
Recycling and Transfer Station (RTS)
1421 Central Avenue, Needham, MA 02492
- Tue7 am–4 pm
- Wed7 am–4 pm
- Thu7 am–4 pm
- Fri7 am–noon
- Sat7 am–4 pm
Accepted at the curb
- Glass bottles / jars (any color)
- All plastic bottles and jars
- Clean metal cans and lids (tin / steel / aluminum, empty aerosol)
- Aluminum (pie plates / trays / foil)
From needhamma.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated August 10, 2026, Sept 26, 2023. 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.
Needham is in Needham 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.
Needham spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Needham residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Needham | ZIP’s residents in Needham |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02492 | Needham, MA | 67% | 100% |
| 02494 | Needham Heights, MA | 33% | 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 Needham
Who supplies Needham’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Needham Water Dept (EPA ID MA3199000). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 5.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Needham?
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 Needham?
Xfinity, Verizon, Astound Broadband, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Needham?
02492 (67%), 02494 (33%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Needham in?
Needham School District.
How do I register to vote in Needham?
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 Needham Town 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: Needham’s own website (needhamma.gov), 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.