Murfreesboro Water Department water quality
Murfreesboro, TN · serves 114,331 people (41,275 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID TN0000491
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit5 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level0.4 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
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Aug 2023. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Aug 2023. 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 Murfreesboro Water Department'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 (615) 848-3200. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested May 2023 to Feb 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 1.5 ppt 38% of the limit |
| 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) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.0017 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 3.47 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 2 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 3.28 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 2.55 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 5 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: 0.4 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 7 ppb (Dec 2016).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – now (in progress) | 0.4 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 0.6 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 1.7 ppb |
Earlier results (8)
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 2.65 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 1.6 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 2.2 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 1993 – Jun 1993 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Aug 2023 | E. coli was confirmed in the water. E. coli means the water may have been contaminated with sewage or animal waste. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Revised Total Coliform Rule · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) Resolved |
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 | 8.45 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.1 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.41 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 206 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.23 ppb | – |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 37127, 37128, 37129, 37130, 37133
Nearby utilities
- Consolidated Utility District of Rutherford County Murfreesboro · same area
- Smyrna Water System Smyrna · 10 mi
- Harpeth Valley Utility District Brentwood · 22 mi
- Wartrace Water System Wartrace · 23 mi · PFAS above limit
- West Wilson Utility District Mount Juliet · 24 mi
- Franklin Water Dept Franklin · 25 mi
Questions
Is Murfreesboro Water Department water safe to drink?
Murfreesboro Water Department had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Murfreesboro Water Department water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Murfreesboro Water Department found 5 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Murfreesboro Water Department water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Murfreesboro Water Department is 0.4 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 TN0000491: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID TN0000491).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Murfreesboro Water Department at (615) 848-3200, 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.