Is Sparks, NV tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
Truckee Meadows Water Authority had PFAS above the 2024 federal limits (PFOA, PFOS) in EPA's 2023–2025 testing.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority supplies Sparks (442,000 people).
Water system
Truckee Meadows Water Authority
442,000 people · Surface water · EPA ID NV0000190
Buys treated water from Sun Valley General Improvement District.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 5.2 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Above limit | 13 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Rounds to the limit | 13 ppt | 10 ppt |
| PFNA Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 94% of the Nevada systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 94% of the Nevada systems EPA tested.
Lead: 0 ppb at the 90th percentile (Dec 2025, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0
Across Nevada, 3 of 37 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 2 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Nevada results.
Sparks homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. Truckee Meadows Water Authority's service line inventory lists 0 lead lines and 0 galvanized lines that need replacing (as of 2024-10). Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Sparks city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Reno 7 mi Truckee Meadows Water Authority | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Fernley 28 mi Fernley Public Works | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Carson City 29 mi Carson City Public Works | None above limits | 2.7 ppb |
| Las Vegas 330 mi Las Vegas Valley Water District | None above limits | 2.08 ppb |
| North Las Vegas 335 mi North Las Vegas Utilities | None above limits | 1.38 ppb |
| Henderson 350 mi City of Henderson | None above limits | 3.8 ppb |
Sparks ZIP codes (2)
- 89431
- 89436
Questions
Is Sparks tap water safe to drink?
Truckee Meadows Water Authority has had no health-based violations since 2016, and EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which it must meet by 2029. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.
Who supplies water in Sparks, NV?
Truckee Meadows Water Authority, which serves 442,000 people.
Does Sparks tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA and PFOS at Truckee Meadows Water Authority. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Sparks homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 34% of Sparks homes as built before 1980 (Nevada: 22%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. Truckee Meadows Water Authority's service line inventory lists 0 lead lines. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.