Is Tempe, AZ tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Tempe · serves 165,000 people (40,000 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID AZ0407100
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from City of Phoenix, City of Chandler. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
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 ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Above limitPFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, the PFAS Hazard Index above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 37.9 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 55.1 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFHxS 67.8 ppt vs a limit of 10 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 278 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 level4.4 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 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved2 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Oct 2017.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Babies drink more water for their size, so PFAS exposure matters more for them. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for PFAS for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- To lower your PFAS exposure now, a home filter certified for PFAS reduction works (reverse osmosis, or activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58). Filters for these results.
- 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 Tempe'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 (480) 350-8255. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 10 entry points tested Jul 2023 to Mar 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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 37.9 ppt 9.49× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 55.1 ppt 13.8× the limit |
| PFHxS Above limit Limit 10 ppt | 67.8 ppt 6.78× the limit |
| 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) Above limit Limit 1 | 6.79 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 25.4 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 9.85 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 21.9 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 14.4 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 6.55 ppt |
| PFPeS Detected, no limit | 7.55 ppt |
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 98% of the Arizona systems EPA tested, the PFOS average is higher than at 99% of the Arizona systems EPA tested and the PFHxS average is higher than at 99% of the Arizona systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 9 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 24 of 24 samples. Highest result 278 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: 4.4 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 11 ppb (Dec 2019).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 2.7 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2019 – Dec 2019 | 6.6 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Jun 2019 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 8.4 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 8.4 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 6.5 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 6.5 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 6.2 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 2017 | A required treatment report was not submitted. EPA record: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Failure Submit Treatment Requirement Rpt (limit ) Resolved |
| Apr 2017 | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.085 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
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 | 86 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 1.3 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 12 ppb | 21 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.53 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 9.5 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 480 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.8 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
Tempe
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 85280, 85281, 85282, 85283, 85284, 85288
Nearby utilities
- City of Chandler Chandler · 9 mi
- Town of Gilbert Gilbert · 12 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Mesa Mesa · 12 mi
- City of Phoenix Phoenix · 16 mi
- City of Glendale Glendale · 18 mi
- City of Scottsdale Scottsdale · 21 mi
Questions
Is Tempe tap water safe to drink?
Most of Tempe gets its water from City of Tempe. City of Tempe had 2 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which systems must meet by 2029. 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 Tempe water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Tempe found 9 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS and PFHxS: PFOA 37.9 ppt, PFOS 55.1 ppt, PFHxS 67.8 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Tempe water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Tempe is 4.4 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. 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 AZ0407100: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID AZ0407100).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Tempe at (480) 350-8255, 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.