Wealthy coastal enclave's dirty secret revealed through wastewater testing surveillance

Nantucket may be the perfect summer destination for coastal New England vibes, but new data shows that the famously picturesque island off the coast of Massachusetts is not without some flaws.

Recent wastewater surveillance reporting shows once again, as it has before, that cocaine levels in sewer water have been well above the national average from July 2025 to February 2026. 

In October, levels spiked to 2,948.70 nanograms per liter, while the national average remained under 1,000.

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There was another spike of 2,815.50 nanograms per liter on Nantucket in December while the national average was just over 1,000, the same reporting shows.

Fox News Digital reached out to the town of Nantucket for comment, which noted its public dashboard with relevant data. "Nantucket, like communities across the country, is not immune to the growing public health crisis of substance misuse and overdose," the town’s website acknowledged. 

"With a seasonal population that can quadruple in the summer, the town faces the unique challenge of managing behavioral health risks with a limited yet consistent set of resources," it also said. 

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There were an average of 40,000 visitors on most days in July and August between 2021–2022 — with peak days welcoming above 60,000, according to Cape and Islands, a local publication. 

The same tests found below-average levels of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid blamed for overdoses around the country.

"During COVID, a lot of these communities, and most communities, decided that it was important for them to start testing the water to see if there were any spikes in COVID in the region," Randolph Rice, a Maryland attorney and legal analyst, previously told Fox News Digital.

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"But what Nantucket has now decided to do as of the beginning of the summer is to actually start testing for other types of substances, particularly drugs, nicotine and other items… within the system there. And what they're finding is that there is a high level of cocaine," added Rice.

Nantucket, with a myriad of charms, attracts celebrities, millionaires — and billionaires. 

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Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick sold his Nantucket home in August for $4 million, as FOX Business reported recently. 

Former President Joe Biden and his family head up to the island almost every year to celebrate Thanksgiving with family, according to multiple reports.