Is Anderson, IN tap water safe?
Supplied by Anderson Water Department · serves 55,212 people (23,279 connections) · Groundwater under influence of surface water · EPA ID IN5248002
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Anderson gets its water from Anderson Water Department. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Edgewood Water Department (2,053 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level1.4 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
- Resolved2 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Jan 2026. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Dec 2024. 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.
- 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 Anderson Water 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 (765) 602-6060. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Oct 2024 to Jul 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 1.03 ppt 26% of the limit |
| 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, 1 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 6 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.4 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 4.8 ppb (Dec 2019).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 4.8 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 2.3 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 0.5 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 0.5 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 0.9 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1997 | 6.2 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Jun 1995 | 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 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 ) Archived |
| Dec 2024 | E. coli was confirmed in the water. E. coli means the water may have been contaminated with sewage or animal waste. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Revised Total Coliform Rule · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) 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 | 0.61 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 10.4 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chlorate | 22.4 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.13 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.64 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Anderson
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 46011, 46013, 46016
Nearby utilities
- Indiana American Water – Muncie Muncie · 17 mi
- Carmel Water Department Carmel · 26 mi
- Citizens Water of Westfield, LLC Carmel · 26 mi
- Citizens Water – Indianapolis Indianapolis · 32 mi
- Indiana American Water – Kokomo Kokomo · 35 mi
- Indiana American Water – Johnson County Greenwood · 40 mi
Questions
Is Anderson tap water safe to drink?
Most of Anderson gets its water from Anderson Water Department. Anderson Water Department had 2 health-based violations 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 Anderson water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Anderson Water Department found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Anderson water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Anderson Water Department is 1.4 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 IN5248002: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IN5248002).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Anderson Water Department at (765) 602-6060, 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.