Is Baltimore, MD tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Baltimore · serves 1.6 million people (424,600 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MD0300002
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
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 level2.74 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 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved4 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Apr 2026. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Sep 2022. 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 City of Baltimore'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) 396-3500.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Aug 2024 to May 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 | – |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 0.75 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 12 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 2.74 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3.53 ppb (Dec 2021).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 2.74 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 3.53 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 3 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2000 | 12 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Jun 1999 | 10 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 – Apr 2026 2 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 83 ug/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Archived |
| Sep 2022 | 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 |
| Jan 2016 | The running annual average for Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) was above the legal limit. EPA record: Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 63 ug/l (limit 0.060 mg/L) 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 | 1.58 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.096 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 233 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.094 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.29 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Baltimore
78 ZIP codes the system reported serving
21013, 21027, 21030, 21031, 21043, 21051, 21052, 21065, 21071, 21082, 21085, 21087, 21092, 21104, 21117, 21128, 21131, 21133, 21136, 21139, 21156, 21162, 21163, 21201, 21202, 21203, 21204, 21205, 21206, 21207, 21208, 21209, 21210, 21211, 21212, 21213, 21214, 21215, 21216, 21217, 21218, 21219, 21220, 21221, 21222, 21223, 21224, 21227, 21228, 21229, 21230, 21231, 21233, 21234, 21235, 21236, 21237, 21239, 21240, 21241, 21244, 21250, 21251, 21263, 21264, 21270, 21273, 21275, 21278, 21279, 21281, 21282, 21286, 21287, 21289, 21290, 21297, 21298
Nearby utilities
- Glen Burnie-Broadneck Water System Glen Burnie · 10 mi
- Howard County Dept. of Public Works Distribution Columbia · 15 mi
- Fort George G. Meade Water System Fort Meade · 15 mi
- Crofton-Odenton Water System Odenton · 17 mi
- Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Laurel · 19 mi
- Harford County Dept. of Public Works Bel Air South · 22 mi
Questions
Is Baltimore tap water safe to drink?
Most of Baltimore gets its water from City of Baltimore. City of Baltimore had 4 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 Baltimore water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Baltimore found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Baltimore water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Baltimore is 2.74 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. 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 MD0300002: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MD0300002).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Baltimore'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) 396-3500.
- City of Baltimore 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.