Is Columbia, TN tap water safe?
Supplied by Columbia Power and Water Systems · serves 84,617 people (31,811 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID TN0000128
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level1 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 Columbia Power and Water Systems'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 (931) 375-7604. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jan 2023 to Jan 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 Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 0.8 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 1 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: 1 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 2.02 ppb (Dec 2016).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 0.5 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 2.02 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 0.5 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 1 ppb |
| Jul 2007 – Dec 2007 | 1.6 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 3.8 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Jun 2007 | 1.7 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1993 – Jun 1993 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 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 | 0.77 ppb | 300 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.22 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.18 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.1 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 1 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 340 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Columbia
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 38401, 38402, 38451, 38461, 38482, 38487
Nearby utilities
- Spring Hill Water Dept Spring Hill · 11 mi
- Franklin Water Dept Franklin · 23 mi
- Harpeth Valley Utility District Brentwood · 30 mi
- Shelbyville Water System Shelbyville · 35 mi · PFAS above limit
- Water Auth of Dickson County Dickson · 35 mi
- Smyrna Water System Smyrna · 38 mi
Questions
Is Columbia tap water safe to drink?
Most of Columbia gets its water from Columbia Power and Water Systems. Columbia Power and Water Systems 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 Columbia water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Columbia Power and Water Systems found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Columbia water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Columbia Power and Water Systems is 1 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 TN0000128: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID TN0000128).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Columbia Power and Water Systems at (931) 375-7604, 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.