Wastewater testing on Nantucket found cocaine concentrations consistently above the national average from summer 2025 through early 2026, with levels peaking at nearly three times the U.S. benchmark.
Data from the island’s Wastewater Surveillance Program show cocaine readings reaching 2,948 nanograms per liter in mid-October 2025 and 2,815 ng/L in December, compared to a national average of roughly 1,000 ng/L, according to reporting by Audacy.
The DX Brief
- Cocaine peaked at 2,948 ng/L in October and 2,815 ng/L in December, versus ~1,000 ng/L nationally.
- Samples were collected hourly at the Surfside Wastewater Treatment Facility and analyzed by Biobot Analytics.
- The program launched in summer 2025 after originally tracking COVID-19.
- Methamphetamine, fentanyl, and xylazine tested below national averages.
- Nantucket’s summer population can reach 60,000 on peak days.
- The surveillance program costs about $30,000 annually.
Officials say the data are anonymous and no injuries or fatalities have been reported.
Read the full article at Audacy
