LINES AND PIPES

U.S. Destination Has ‘Dangerous’ Amounts of Cocaine in Water

The New England town had levels of the drug that are three times the national average.

Nantucket has cocaine levels in its sewage water that are three times higher than the national average, new testing reveals. The beautiful town off the coast of Massachusetts is best known as a classic New England beachside getaway. Officials began testing the water in summer 2025 as a public health initiative. Wastewater testing that occurred in the summer found cocaine levels at rates 50 percent higher than the national average. The national average is under 1000 nanograms per liter. Boston25 reported that it continues a trend of “dangerous amounts of cocaine” in the wastewater. In response to the data, officials wrote, “With a seasonal population that can quadruple in the summer, the Town faces the unique challenge of managing behavioral health risks with a consistent but limited set of resources.” However, new testing in the fall and winter shows sharp increases in October and December, with levels three times the national average at 2,948.70 nanograms per liter. In more encouraging news, levels of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the water were below national averages.