Is Portland, ME tap water safe?
Supplied by Portland Water District – Greater · serves 135,068 people (54,027 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID ME0091300
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 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level1.5 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 Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- 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 Portland Water District – Greater'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 (207) 523-5260. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Mar 2024 to Dec 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 | – |
Maine has its own PFAS limits. the sum of PFOA + PFOS + PFHxS + PFNA + PFHpA + PFDA must stay at or below 20 ppt (this system's highest averages add up to 0 ppt). State compliance is judged on the state's own sampling, so ask the utility or the state program whether it meets them.
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
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.5 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 5 ppb (Dec 2016).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 1.5 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 1.9 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 3.3 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 9 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Jun 2002 | 15 ppb |
| Jul 2001 – Dec 2001 | 11 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 | 25.4 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.11 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 140 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.023 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Portland, Standish, Gorham, Scarborough, Windham, Raymond, Falmouth, Cumberland, Westbrook, Cape Elizabeth, South Portland
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 04021, 04038, 04062, 04071, 04074, 04075, 04084, 04092, 04096, 04098, 04101, 04102, 04103, 04104, 04105, 04106, 04107, 04108, 04110, 04112
Nearby utilities
- Yarmouth Water District Yarmouth · 11 mi · PFAS above limit
- Sanford Water District Sanford · 32 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Portland tap water safe to drink?
Most of Portland gets its water from Portland Water District – Greater. Portland Water District – Greater 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 Portland water have PFAS?
EPA tested Portland Water District – Greater for 29 PFAS between Mar 2024 and Dec 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Portland water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Portland Water District – Greater is 1.5 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). 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 ME0091300: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID ME0091300).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Portland Water District – Greater at (207) 523-5260, 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.