Is Birmingham, AL tap water safe?
Supplied by Central Alabama Water · serves 653,322 people (217,774 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID AL0000738
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Birmingham gets its water from Central Alabama Water. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Mpt Operating Partnership, L.P. Water System (250 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit5 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level1.2 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Central Alabama Water's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (205) 244-4000. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 4 entry points tested Aug 2024 to May 2025. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.0025 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 4.98 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 1.53 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 4.1 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 5.03 ppt |
| 6:2 FTS Detected, no limit | 1.45 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 5 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 16 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.2 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 1.76 ppb (Dec 2023).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 1.2 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 1.76 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Jun 2020 | 1.46 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2019 – Dec 2019 | 1.2 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 2001 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 1997 – Dec 1997 | 5 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
1 unresolved monitoring or reporting violation: Lead and Copper Rule.
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 4.36 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.4 ppb | 40 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.52 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chlorate | 380 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.13 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.074 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Birmingham
50 ZIP codes the system reported serving
35004, 35005, 35023, 35060, 35061, 35062, 35064, 35068, 35071, 35073, 35080, 35091, 35094, 35116, 35118, 35126, 35127, 35133, 35172, 35180, 35203, 35204, 35205, 35206, 35207, 35208, 35209, 35210, 35211, 35212, 35213, 35214, 35215, 35216, 35217, 35218, 35221, 35222, 35223, 35224, 35226, 35228, 35233, 35234, 35235, 35242, 35243, 35244, 35283, 35294
Nearby utilities
- Irondale Water System Irondale · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Pelham Pelham · 15 mi · PFAS above limit
- Bessemer Water Service Bessemer · 15 mi
- City of Alabaster Water Department Alabaster · 20 mi · PFAS above limit
- Sterrett-Vandiver Water System, Inc. Sterrett · 20 mi · PFAS above limit
- Shelby County Commission-Water Services Columbiana · 25 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Birmingham tap water safe to drink?
Most of Birmingham gets its water from Central Alabama Water. Central Alabama Water has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Birmingham water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Central Alabama Water found 5 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Birmingham water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Central Alabama Water is 1.2 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for AL0000738: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID AL0000738).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Central Alabama Water at (205) 244-4000, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.