Is Pocatello, ID tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Pocatello · serves 58,231 people (18,712 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID ID6030043
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Pocatello gets its water from City of Pocatello. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Big Sky N. Subdivision (300 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 12 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 42.3 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 level5 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 Jun 2026. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Oct 2021. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Oct 2021. What to do if you get a notice.
- 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.
- Got a boil-water or do-not-drink notice? What each notice means and what to do.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Nitrate is most harmful to babies under 6 months, and boiling concentrates it. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for nitrate for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Pocatello'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 (208) 234-6174. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 6 entry points tested Feb 2024 to Sep 2024. "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
Detected in 12 of 12 samples. Highest result 42.3 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: 5 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 4 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Jun 2000 | 5 ppb |
| Jul 1999 – Dec 1999 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1993 – Jun 1993 | 5.4 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 2021 | The running annual average for Nitrate was above the legal limit. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Nitrate · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 12 mg/l (limit 10 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 | 0.5 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 27 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.49 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 2.24 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 2.62 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Pocatello
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 83201, 83202, 83204, 83205, 83206, 83209
Nearby utilities
- City of Idaho Falls Idaho Falls · 48 mi
- City of Twin Falls Twin Falls · 103 mi
- Capitol Water Corp Boise City · 197 mi · PFAS above limit
- Veolia Water Idaho Boise City · 197 mi
- Garden City Water and Sewer System Garden City · 201 mi · PFAS above limit
- Meridian Water Dept Meridian · 205 mi
Questions
Is Pocatello tap water safe to drink?
Most of Pocatello gets its water from City of Pocatello. City of Pocatello had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Pocatello water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Pocatello for 29 PFAS between Feb 2024 and Sep 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Pocatello water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Pocatello is 5 ppb, for the period ending Jun 2026. 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 ID6030043: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID ID6030043).
- 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 Pocatello at (208) 234-6174, 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.