Is Columbus, IN tap water safe?
Supplied by Columbus Municipal Utility · serves 51,122 people (29,449 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID IN5203002
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Columbus gets its water from Columbus Municipal Utility. Parts of the city are served by 2 smaller systems: Southwestern Bartholomew Water Corp. (8,652 people), Garden City Mobile Home Park Water System (140 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit4 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level2.74 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 2025. 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 Columbus Municipal Utility'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 (812) 418-6429. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Jul 2024 to Jan 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 | 0.004 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 7.95 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 7.55 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 6.25 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 13.4 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 4 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: 2.74 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 4.6 ppb (Dec 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 2.74 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 2.08 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 3.59 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 4.6 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 7.9 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 2001 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 9 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 | 4.25 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.13 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 2.2 ppb | 40 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.98 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Columbus
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 47201, 47202, 47203
Nearby utilities
- Indiana American Water – Johnson County Greenwood · 29 mi
- City of Bloomington Utilities Bloomington · 33 mi
- Citizens Water – Indianapolis Indianapolis · 41 mi
- Carmel Water Department Carmel · 54 mi
- Citizens Water of Westfield, LLC Carmel · 54 mi
- Indiana American Water – Charlestown Charlestown · 55 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Columbus tap water safe to drink?
Most of Columbus gets its water from Columbus Municipal Utility. Columbus Municipal Utility 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 Columbus water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Columbus Municipal Utility found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Columbus water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Columbus Municipal Utility is 2.74 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. 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 IN5203002: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IN5203002).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Columbus Municipal Utility at (812) 418-6429, 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.