Is Alexandria, LA tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Alexandria Water System · serves 66,798 people (22,266 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID LA1079001
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 18 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 95.2 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level2 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 Sep 2026. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Jun 2018. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Jun 2018. 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.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Alexandria Water System'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 (318) 449-5000. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 10 entry points tested May 2023 to Aug 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
Detected in 20 of 20 samples. Highest result 95.2 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above 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: 2 ppb lead (Apr 2026 – Sep 2026). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 16 ppb (Dec 2019).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Apr 2026 – Sep 2026 | 2 ppb |
| Oct 2025 – Mar 2026 | 1 ppb |
| Apr 2025 – Sep 2025 | 1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Oct 2024 – Mar 2025 | 1 ppb |
| Apr 2024 – Sep 2024 | 1 ppb |
| Oct 2023 – Mar 2024 | 1 ppb |
| Apr 2023 – Sep 2023 | 3 ppb |
| Oct 2022 – Mar 2023 | 4 ppb |
| Apr 2022 – Sep 2022 | 1 ppb |
| Oct 2021 – Mar 2022 | 1 ppb |
| Apr 2021 – Sep 2021 | 2 ppb |
| Oct 2020 – Mar 2021 | 3 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 |
|---|---|
| Jun 2018 | 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 | 41.1 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.074 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.34 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 11 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
Alexandria
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 71301, 71302, 71303, 71306, 71307, 71309, 71315
Nearby utilities
- Town of Vidalia Water System Vidalia · 64 mi · PFAS above limit
- Lafayette Utilities Water System Lafayette · 79 mi
- City of Lake Charles Water System Lake Charles · 87 mi
- City of Monroe Water System Monroe · 88 mi
- Baton Rouge Water Company Baton Rouge · 98 mi
- City of Bossier City Water System Bossier City · 110 mi
Questions
Is Alexandria tap water safe to drink?
Most of Alexandria gets its water from City of Alexandria Water System. City of Alexandria Water System 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 Alexandria water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Alexandria Water System for 29 PFAS between May 2023 and Aug 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Alexandria water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Alexandria Water System is 2 ppb, for the period ending Sep 2026. 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 LA1079001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID LA1079001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Alexandria Water System at (318) 449-5000, 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.