Is Sioux Falls, SD tap water safe?
Supplied by Sioux Falls Water System · serves 216,462 people (63,541 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID SD4600294
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Sioux Falls gets its water from Sioux Falls Water System. Parts of the city are served by 8 smaller systems: Lincoln County Rural Water System (5,965 people), Tm Rural Water District (4,250 people), Pine Lake Hills Water System (320 people), Valley View Estates Water System (230 people) and 4 more. Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from Lewis and Clark Regional Water Syste. 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).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 70.9 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- 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 Dec 2024. 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 Sioux Falls Water System's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (605) 373-6946.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Aug 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
Detected in 8 of 8 samples. Highest result 70.9 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2018 | 1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2015 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2012 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2009 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2000 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1997 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 1996 – Dec 1996 | 2 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 | 0.4 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.4 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 10 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.5 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 480 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 2.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Sioux Falls
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 57101, 57103, 57104, 57105, 57106, 57107, 57108, 57109, 57110, 57117, 57118, 57197
Nearby utilities
- Rapid City Water System Rapid City · 327 mi
Questions
Is Sioux Falls tap water safe to drink?
Most of Sioux Falls gets its water from Sioux Falls Water System. Sioux Falls Water System 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 Sioux Falls water have PFAS?
EPA tested Sioux Falls Water System for 29 PFAS between Aug 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 Sioux Falls water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Sioux Falls Water System is 3 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. 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 SD4600294: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID SD4600294).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Sioux Falls Water System'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: (605) 373-6946.
- Sioux Falls Water System 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.