Is Salem, OR tap water safe?
Supplied by Salem Public Works · serves 199,820 people (55,970 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID OR4100731
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Salem gets its water from Salem Public Works. Parts of the city are served by 2 smaller systems: Suburban East Salem Water District (13,900 people), Bie Chemawa Indian School Water System (320 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 6 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level2 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 2025. 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 Salem Public Works'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 (503) 588-6483. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Jan 2023 to May 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 | – |
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 6 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 2 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 7.5 ppb (Dec 2022).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 2.4 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 5.6 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 7.5 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 7.1 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 4.9 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 6.1 ppb |
| Jul 2007 – Dec 2007 | 4.3 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 13.9 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Jun 2007 | 3.8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorate | 110 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.024 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 1.7 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.1 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Salem
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 97301, 97302, 97304, 97305, 97306, 97308, 97309, 97310, 97311, 97312, 97314, 97317
Nearby utilities
- City of Albany Albany · 21 mi
- City of Dundee Dundee · 24 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Corvallis Corvallis · 27 mi
- City of Tigard Tigard · 36 mi
- City of Beaverton Beaverton · 40 mi
- Tualatin Valley Water District Beaverton · 40 mi
Questions
Is Salem tap water safe to drink?
Most of Salem gets its water from Salem Public Works. Salem Public Works 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 Salem water have PFAS?
EPA tested Salem Public Works for 29 PFAS between Jan 2023 and May 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Salem water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Salem Public Works is 2 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. 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 OR4100731: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID OR4100731).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Salem Public Works at (503) 588-6483, 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.