Is Johnson City, TN tap water safe?
Supplied by Johnson City Water Dept · serves 105,057 people (46,281 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID TN0000331
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Johnson City gets its water from Johnson City Water Dept. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: South Elizabethton Utility District (6,244 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 8 samples (2023–2025).
- 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 Jan 2026 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). 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 Johnson City Water Dept'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 (423) 375-2649. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Dec 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 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 8 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 1.4 ppb (Dec 2019).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – now (in progress) | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 1.2 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jan 1993 – Jun 1993 | 8 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 1992 – Jun 1992 | 0 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
1 unresolved monitoring or reporting violation: Public Notice.
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 | 46.4 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.17 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 315 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.1 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.21 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Johnson City
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 37601, 37602, 37604, 37605, 37614, 37615, 37618, 37656, 37659, 37660, 37663, 37684, 37686, 37692
Nearby utilities
- Erwin Utilities Authority Erwin · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
- Kingsport Water Dept Kingsport · 15 mi
- First Utility District of Knox County Knoxville · 91 mi
- Hallsdale-Powell Utility District Knoxville · 91 mi
- Knoxville Utilities Board – KUB Knoxville · 91 mi
- West Knox Utility District Knoxville · 91 mi
Questions
Is Johnson City tap water safe to drink?
Most of Johnson City gets its water from Johnson City Water Dept. Johnson City Water Dept 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 Johnson City water have PFAS?
EPA tested Johnson City Water Dept for 29 PFAS between Dec 2023 and Sep 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Johnson City water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Johnson City Water Dept is 1 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2026 (still in progress). 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 TN0000331: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID TN0000331).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Johnson City Water Dept at (423) 375-2649, 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.