City of Flint water quality
Flint, MI · serves 81,252 people (28,963 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID MI0002310
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Great Lakes Water Authority, Genesee County Water System. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 8 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level3 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 Jun 2026. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Oct 2024.
- 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 City of Flint'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 (810) 766-7346. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 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 | – |
Michigan has its own PFAS limits. PFNA 6 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFOA 8 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFHxA 400000 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFOS 16 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFHxS 51 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFBS 420 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), HFPO-DA 370 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected). 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 8 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 20 ppb (Jun 2016).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 3 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 1 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Jun 2023 | 8 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 9 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 10 ppb |
| Jul 2021 – Dec 2021 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Jun 2021 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | 6 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 |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | The system did not publish the required inventory of lead service lines (due October 2024). It says nothing about lead levels in the water. EPA record: Lead and copper rule revisions · LSL Inventory 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 |
| Chromium-6 | 0.4 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 2.4 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.14 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.2 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 48505, 48506
Nearby utilities
- Genesee County Water System Flint · same area
- Independence Township Water System Independence charter · 24 mi · PFAS above limit
- Waterford Township Waterford charter · 29 mi
- Pontiac Water System Pontiac · 33 mi
- Fremont Water System Fremont · 36 mi · PFAS above limit
- Rochester Hills Water System Rochester Hills · 37 mi
Questions
Is City of Flint water safe to drink?
City of Flint 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 City of Flint water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Flint for 29 PFAS between Aug 2024 and May 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in City of Flint water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Flint is 3 ppb, for the period ending Jun 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 MI0002310: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MI0002310).
- 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 Flint at (810) 766-7346, 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.