Is St. Paul, MN tap water safe?
Supplied by Saint Paul Regional Water Services · serves 392,529 people (94,778 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MN1620026
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level10 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 Apr 2022.
- 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 Saint Paul Regional Water Services's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (651) 266-1629.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Sep 2023 to Sep 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 Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 14.6 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 1.5 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 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 10 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 17 ppb (Dec 2023).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 8 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 12 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 9 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 17 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 12 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2011 | 13 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 12 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 11 ppb |
Lead service lines: Saint Paul Regional Water Services's inventory lists 17,000 lead, 4,500 of unknown material (as of 2026). It reports 4,500 lead lines replaced since 2022. Figures are approximate, as the utility published them.
Look up your address · Source (the utility, collected by us on Nov 14, 2026, not EPA data) · Checking your own line
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 |
|---|---|
| Apr 2022 | The water chemistry that keeps lead from dissolving out of pipes was outside the range the state set. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance (limit TT ) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Strontium | 0.078 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 29.1 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.58 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.39 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 1.2 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
St. Paul, Woodbury, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Maplewood, Apple Valley, Roseville, Oakdale, Shoreview, Mendota Heights, Arden Hills, White Bear Lake, North Oaks, West St. Paul, Mahtomedi, Mendota
32 ZIP codes the system reported serving
55077, 55101, 55102, 55103, 55104, 55105, 55106, 55107, 55108, 55109, 55110, 55111, 55112, 55113, 55114, 55115, 55116, 55117, 55118, 55119, 55120, 55121, 55122, 55123, 55124, 55125, 55126, 55127, 55128, 55129, 55130, 55150
Nearby utilities
- Newport Water System Newport · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Minneapolis Water Treatment & Distribution Minneapolis · 8 mi
- Woodbury Water System Woodbury · 9 mi · PFAS above limit
- Eagan Water System Eagan · 10 mi
- Lake Elmo Water System Lake Elmo · 10 mi · PFAS above limit
- Saint Louis Park Water System St. Louis Park · 13 mi
Questions
Is St. Paul tap water safe to drink?
Most of St. Paul gets its water from Saint Paul Regional Water Services. Saint Paul Regional Water Services 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 St. Paul water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Saint Paul Regional Water Services found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in St. Paul water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Saint Paul Regional Water Services is 10 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 MN1620026: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MN1620026).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Saint Paul Regional Water Services'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: (651) 266-1629.
- Saint Paul Regional Water Services 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.