Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution water quality
Columbia, MD · serves 286,158 people (79,084 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID MD0130002
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from City of Baltimore, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No limits exceeded in the data EPA has, but the record is incomplete: no lead results since 2020.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Out of dateEPA's national database has no lead results for this system since 2020 (then 3 ppb, 90th percentile). Systems this size normally test every one to three years, so this most likely means newer results were not reported to EPA, not that testing stopped. Ask the utility for its latest results.
- 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 Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (410) 313-4974.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Jun 2023 to Apr 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 Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 0.85 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 1.72 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 2 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 2018 – Dec 2020). No results since 2020
This is the newest lead result in EPA's national database. Utilities report lead results to their state, and states pass them to EPA. Gaps like this usually mean the newer results did not reach EPA's database, not that the utility stopped testing. Results this old may not reflect the water today. Ask the utility or your state drinking water program for the latest lead monitoring.
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 2 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2000 | 15 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Jun 1999 | 8 ppb |
| Jul 1998 – Dec 1998 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Jun 1996 | 5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 1.7 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.078 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 198 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.065 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Columbia
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 21044, 21045
Nearby utilities
- Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Laurel · 7 mi
- Fort George G. Meade Water System Fort Meade · 9 mi
- Crofton-Odenton Water System Odenton · 13 mi
- Glen Burnie-Broadneck Water System Glen Burnie · 14 mi
- City of Baltimore Baltimore · 15 mi
- City of Rockville Rockville · 18 mi
Questions
Is Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution water safe to drink?
Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution 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 Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution is 3 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2020, which is more than five years old. 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 MD0130002: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MD0130002).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (410) 313-4974.
- Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution 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.