Massachusetts ranks #17 of 37 in the DrainDispatch Drain Risk Index, with a composite score of 40 out of 100 — around the middle of the index. The median across all 37 states is 40.
What is driving the Massachusetts score
The larger of the two contributors in Massachusetts is freeze depth.
Freeze depth: 32 inches (sub-score 40/100)
The frost line in Massachusetts reaches roughly 32 inches, which is deep. Waste lines, yard drains and downspout runs set shallower than that can freeze outright, but the more consequential effect is slower: repeated freeze and thaw shifts buried pipe and opens joints. Open joints are where tree roots get in, which is why deep-frost states tend to see root intrusion as a recurring rather than a one-off problem.
Water hardness: 30-120 ppm (sub-score 22/100)
Supplies across Massachusetts typically test 30-120 ppm — soft to moderately hard. Softer water means slower scale build-up, so the effective diameter of a sound pipe holds up better over decades than it does in hard-water states.
What this does and does not tell you
It describes an environment, not a property. A high score means buried drain lines in Massachusetts face more pressure on average. It says nothing about your house. Pipe material, the age of the lateral, how it was originally laid, and whether there are mature trees over it all matter at least as much — and none of them is in this version of the index.
Version 1.0 uses two factors. Housing age, tree canopy and storm intensity are planned for 2.0. We would rather publish two factors we can source than five we cannot.
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States either side of Massachusetts
Full index, all 37 states, with methodology →
Questions
What does a score of 40 mean for Massachusetts?
It places Massachusetts at #17 of 37 covered states for environmental pressure on buried drain lines — around the middle of the index. It is a relative measure across states, not a prediction for any individual property.
How is the score calculated?
An unweighted mean of two normalised sub-scores: frost line depth (0 inches scores 0, 80 inches scores 100) and median municipal water hardness (20 ppm scores 0, 275 ppm scores 100). Massachusetts scores 40 and 22 respectively.
Why unweighted?
Because we have no defensible basis for preferring one factor over the other. We would rather say that than invent a weighting that looks more scientific than it is.
Can I republish this?
Yes. The index is published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, so you are free to use, adapt and republish it, including commercially, with attribution to DrainDispatch.
Where does the data come from?
Published state frost-line depth reference tables and published state water-hardness data. Both are cited on the methodology page.
Does a high score mean my Massachusetts drains will block?
No. It means the environment is harder on buried pipe on average. Housing age, pipe material and tree planting matter at least as much, and none of those is in version 1.0.