Is Gary, IN tap water safe?
Supplied by Indiana American Water – Northwest · serves 210,510 people (84,204 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID IN5245015
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 8 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level3 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 Indiana American Water – Northwest'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: (317) 885-2408.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Jun 2023 to Mar 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
Not detected in 8 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 6 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 6 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2012 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2011 | 9 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 9 ppb |
| Jul 2009 – Dec 2009 | 13 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Jun 2009 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Strontium | 0.12 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.37 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 1.6 ppb | 40 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.15 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Gary, Merrillville
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 46301, 46304, 46307, 46312, 46319, 46323, 46341, 46342, 46368, 46375, 46383, 46385, 46393, 46401, 46402, 46403, 46404, 46405, 46406, 46407, 46408, 46409, 46410, 46411
Nearby utilities
- Hammond Water Works Department Hammond · 8 mi
- South Bend Water Works South Bend · 56 mi · PFAS above limit
- Purdue University Water Works West Lafayette · 82 mi
- Lafayette Water Works Lafayette · 86 mi
- Indiana American Water – Kokomo Kokomo · 100 mi
- Fort Wayne – 3 Rivers Filtration Plant Fort Wayne · 119 mi
Questions
Is Gary tap water safe to drink?
Most of Gary gets its water from Indiana American Water – Northwest. Indiana American Water – Northwest 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 Gary water have PFAS?
EPA tested Indiana American Water – Northwest for 29 PFAS between Jun 2023 and Mar 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Gary water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Indiana American Water – Northwest is 3 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 IN5245015: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IN5245015).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Indiana American Water – Northwest'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: (317) 885-2408.
- Indiana American Water – Northwest 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.