New Orleans Algiers Water Works water quality
New Orleans, LA · serves 52,785 people (15,118 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID LA1071001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit3 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level7.1 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
- Resolved7 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Jan 2025. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Jan 2025. 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 New Orleans Algiers Water Works'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 (504) 380-6507. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Mar 2023 to Dec 2023. "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 Detected, below limit Limit 4 ppt | 1 ppt 25% of the limit |
| PFOS One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 1.13 ppt 28% 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 Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 6.98 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 3 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 1 of 4 samples. Highest result 11.4 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Below 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: 7.1 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 7.1 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 5.6 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 6 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 2001 | 1 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1992 – Jun 1992 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | The water was cloudier than allowed at least once. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (limit ) Resolved |
| Oct 2018 – Jul 2022 6 times | The system did not remove enough organic matter, which reacts with chlorine to form disinfection byproducts. EPA record: Carbon, total · Treatment Technique Precursor Removal (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 | 0.52 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.2 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Vanadium | 4.1 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.18 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.21 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.12 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 1,100 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
New Orleans
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 70114, 70118, 70131
Nearby utilities
- New Orleans Carrollton Water Works New Orleans · same area
- East Jefferson Water Works District 1 Jefferson · 15 mi
- W Jefferson Water Works District 2 Jefferson · 15 mi
- St Charles Parish Dept of Waterworks Laplace · 32 mi
- Lafourche Water District 1 Bayou Blue · 53 mi
- Schriever Water Treatment Service Area Schriever · 58 mi
Questions
Is New Orleans Algiers Water Works water safe to drink?
New Orleans Algiers Water Works had 7 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 New Orleans Algiers Water Works water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of New Orleans Algiers Water Works found 3 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in New Orleans Algiers Water Works water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for New Orleans Algiers Water Works is 7.1 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 LA1071001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID LA1071001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask New Orleans Algiers Water Works at (504) 380-6507, 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.