Is Decatur, GA tap water safe?
Supplied by DeKalb County Water System · serves 743,000 people (193,679 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID GA0890001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Gwinnett County Dept. of Water Resources, City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level5.5 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
- 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 DeKalb County Water System's 2026 water quality report (PDF) (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (678) 428-8746.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Nov 2024 to Sep 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) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 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 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 5.5 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 5.5 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 1.6 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 2.4 ppb |
Earlier results (8)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 7.5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 4.1 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 3.6 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2000 | 6 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
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 | 58.3 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.033 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 45.5 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.055 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Decatur, Stonecrest, Tucker, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Redan, Chamblee, Candler-McAfee, North Decatur, Doraville, North Druid Hills, Panthersville, Scottdale, Clarkston, Avondale Estates, Pine Lake
45 ZIP codes the system reported serving
30002, 30012, 30021, 30030, 30031, 30032, 30033, 30034, 30035, 30036, 30037, 30038, 30058, 30072, 30074, 30079, 30083, 30084, 30085, 30086, 30087, 30088, 30288, 30294, 30312, 30319, 30322, 30329, 30333, 30338, 30340, 30341, 30345, 30346, 30356, 30359, 30360, 30362, 30366, 31107, 31119, 31141, 31145, 31146, 39901
Nearby utilities
- City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management Atlanta · 7 mi
- Clayton County Water Authority Morrow · 13 mi · PFAS above limit
- Rockdale County Water System Conyers · 19 mi
- Cobb County Water System Marietta · 19 mi
- Marietta Board of Lights and Water Marietta · 19 mi
- North Fulton County Water System Alpharetta · 21 mi
Questions
Is Decatur tap water safe to drink?
Most of Decatur gets its water from DeKalb County Water System. DeKalb County Water System 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 Decatur water have PFAS?
EPA tested DeKalb County Water System for 29 PFAS between Nov 2024 and Sep 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Decatur water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for DeKalb County Water System is 5.5 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 GA0890001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID GA0890001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- DeKalb County Water System's 2026 water quality report (PDF): the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (678) 428-8746.
- DeKalb County Water System 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.