Is Scottsdale, AZ tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Scottsdale · serves 241,361 people (92,701 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID AZ0407098
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Scottsdale gets its water from City of Scottsdale. Parts of the city are served by 2 smaller systems: Salt River Public Works (20,951 people), Global Water – – Bwc, Inc. – Nswc (301 people). Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from City of Phoenix. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 90.4 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level2.3 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 ending Dec 2023. 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 City of Scottsdale's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (480) 312-8712.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 7 entry points tested Jan 2025 to Dec 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 | 0.0004 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 0.8 ppt |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 1 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
Detected in 18 of 18 samples. Highest result 90.4 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 2.3 ppb lead (Jan 2021 – Dec 2023). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 5 ppb (Dec 2020).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 2.3 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 1.7 ppb |
Earlier results (7)
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 1.6 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 1.9 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 4.8 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1992 – Jun 1992 | 7 ppb |
Lead service lines: City of Scottsdale publishes a service line inventory where you can look up what your line is made of. It doesn't publish summary counts.
Look up your address · Source (the utility, collected by us on Nov 14, 2026, not EPA data) · Checking your own line
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
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 | 3.3 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 1.3 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 320 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 17 ppb | 21 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.55 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 5.1 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 36 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Scottsdale
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 85016, 85018, 85250, 85251, 85252, 85253, 85254, 85255, 85256, 85257, 85258, 85259, 85260, 85261, 85262, 85266, 85267, 85268, 85281, 85282, 85331, 85377
Nearby utilities
- City of Phoenix Phoenix · 15 mi
- City of Tempe Tempe · 21 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Mesa Mesa · 21 mi
- City of Glendale Glendale · 22 mi
- City of Peoria Peoria · 27 mi
- Town of Gilbert Gilbert · 27 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Scottsdale tap water safe to drink?
Most of Scottsdale gets its water from City of Scottsdale. City of Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Scottsdale found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Scottsdale water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Scottsdale is 2.3 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2023. 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 AZ0407098: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID AZ0407098).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Scottsdale's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (480) 312-8712.
- City of Scottsdale website
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.