Is Vancouver, WA tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
City of Vancouver, the largest system here, 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.
2 public water systems serve parts of Vancouver. The largest, City of Vancouver, serves 373,047 people, and 2 systems here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
City of Vancouver
373,047 people · Groundwater · EPA ID WA5391200
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 10.8 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Above limit | 18.4 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit | 6.1 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 99% of the Washington systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 99% of the Washington systems EPA tested.
Lead: 2.2 ppb at the 90th percentile (Dec 2023, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0
Across Washington, 20 of 245 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 17 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Washington results.
Vancouver homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. 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 Vancouver city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Which system serves your ZIP code
Based on the ZIP codes each system reported serving. Boundaries don't follow ZIP lines exactly, so your water bill is the final word.
| System | ZIP codes in Vancouver |
|---|---|
| City of Vancouver 373,047 people | 98660, 98661, 98662, 98664 |
| Clark Public Utilities 153,526 people | 98663, 98682, 98683, 98684 |
Other water systems serving Vancouver
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Camas 8 mi Camas Municipal Water Sewer System | Above limit | 1.5 ppb |
| Longview 39 mi Longview Water Department | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Tumwater 95 mi City of Tumwater | None above limits | – |
| Lacey 98 mi Lacey Water Department | None above limits | – |
| Olympia 98 mi City of Olympia | None above limits | 3.4 ppb |
| Lakewood 105 mi Lakewood Water District | Above limit | 1.1 ppb |
Questions
Is Vancouver tap water safe to drink?
City of Vancouver 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 Vancouver, WA?
2 public water systems serve parts of Vancouver. The largest is City of Vancouver (373,047 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Vancouver tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA and PFOS at City of Vancouver. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Vancouver homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 40% of Vancouver homes as built before 1980 (Washington: 43%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. City of Vancouver's service line inventory says what your line is made of. 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.