Is Hammond, IN tap water safe?
Supplied by Hammond Water Works Department · serves 78,384 people (24,115 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID IN5245020
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 4 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 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Jul 2020.
- 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 Hammond Water Works Department'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 (219) 853-6427. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Nov 2024 to Aug 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: 3 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 6.5 ppb (Dec 2020).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 1.8 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 2.5 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jul 2021 – Dec 2021 | 2.3 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Jun 2021 | 1.99 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 6.5 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 5.6 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 9.4 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 6.2 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 9.3 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 11 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 |
|---|---|
| Jul 2020 | The water chemistry that keeps lead from dissolving out of pipes was outside the range the state set. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance (limit TT ) 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 | 18.7 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.12 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.2 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 2.4 ppb | 40 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.26 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Hammond
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 46320, 46323, 46324, 46325, 46327, 46394
Nearby utilities
- Indiana American Water – Northwest Gary · 8 mi
- South Bend Water Works South Bend · 63 mi · PFAS above limit
- Purdue University Water Works West Lafayette · 86 mi
- Lafayette Water Works Lafayette · 90 mi
- Indiana American Water – Kokomo Kokomo · 107 mi
- Fort Wayne – 3 Rivers Filtration Plant Fort Wayne · 127 mi
Questions
Is Hammond tap water safe to drink?
Most of Hammond gets its water from Hammond Water Works Department. Hammond Water Works Department 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 Hammond water have PFAS?
EPA tested Hammond Water Works Department for 29 PFAS between Nov 2024 and Aug 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Hammond water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Hammond Water Works Department is 3 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 IN5245020: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IN5245020).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Hammond Water Works Department at (219) 853-6427, 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.