Is Jackson, MS tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Jackson · serves 189,673 people (71,846 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MS0250008
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Jackson gets its water from City of Jackson. Parts of the city are served by 2 smaller systems: City of Jackson-Maddox Road (28,098 people), Hinds County Detention Center-Gallatin St (25 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
An unresolved health-based violation.
Is it an emergency? No: these findings are about longer-term exposure, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 12 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level3.2 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
- 1 unresolved37 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Apr 2025. 8 required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Jul 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 Jackson'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 (757) 274-7904. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Feb 2025 to Nov 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 | – |
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 12 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3.2 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 16.4 ppb (Dec 2016).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 3.2 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 4.1 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 4.5 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 5.2 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 7.4 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 9.5 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Jun 2023 | 5.8 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jul 2021 – Dec 2021 | 10.7 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Jun 2021 | 6 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | 4.6 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 |
|---|---|
| Jul 2024 – Apr 2025 4 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.09 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
| Oct 2020 – Apr 2025 5 times | 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 0.069 mg/l (limit 0.060 mg/L) Resolved |
| Jan 2018 – Jul 2024 14 times | 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 |
| Jul 2022 | The water was cloudier than allowed at least once. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (limit ) Archived |
| Jan 2020 – Jun 2022 4 times | The water was cloudier than allowed at least once. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · measured 7.5 ntu (limit ) Resolved |
| Mar 2020 – Nov 2021 4 times | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (limit ) Resolved |
| Jan 2020 – Mar 2021 3 times | The water was too cloudy too often in a month. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (limit ) Resolved |
| Jan 2020 | The system did not install the treatment required to keep lead and copper from dissolving out of pipes. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · OCCT/SOWT Treatment Installation/Demonstration (limit TT ) Unaddressed |
| Jan 2016 | 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 ) Archived |
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 | 74.3 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.21 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.06 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.95 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 111 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Jackson
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 39154, 39157, 39170, 39201, 39202, 39203, 39204, 39205, 39206, 39207, 39209, 39210, 39211, 39212, 39213, 39215, 39216, 39217, 39272
Nearby utilities
- City of Oxford Oxford · 146 mi · PFAS above limit
- University of Mississippi Water System University · 147 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Gulfport Gulfport · 147 mi
- City of Holly Springs Holly Springs · 176 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Southaven Southaven · 182 mi
- City of Olive Branch Olive Branch · 183 mi
Questions
Is Jackson tap water safe to drink?
Most of Jackson gets its water from City of Jackson. City of Jackson has 1 unresolved health-based violation on record. 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 Jackson water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Jackson for 29 PFAS between Feb 2025 and Nov 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Jackson water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Jackson is 3.2 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 MS0250008: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MS0250008).
- 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 Jackson at (757) 274-7904, 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.