Salt Lake City Water System water quality
Salt Lake City, UT · serves 383,612 people (94,977 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID UTAH18026
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, Metropolitan Water District. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit4 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 42.8 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 level2.51 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
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Sep 2017.
- 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.
- 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 Salt Lake City 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: (801) 483-6864.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 22 entry points tested Oct 2023 to Oct 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 0 ppt 0% of the limit |
| PFHxS One sample above limit Limit 10 ppt | 0 ppt 0% of the limit |
| 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 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 0 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 4 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 25 of 52 samples. Highest result 42.8 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: 2.51 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 4.47 ppb (Dec 2021).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 2.51 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 4.47 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 2.78 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 6.8 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 5.3 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 2000 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 1994 – Dec 1994 | 4 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 |
|---|---|
| Sep 2017 | An inspection found a significant problem (such as a damaged well or storage tank) that was not fixed on time. EPA record: Groundwater Rule · Failure To Address Deficiency (limit ) 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 | 100 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 2 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 290 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 1.7 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 4.4 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1.9 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
30 ZIP codes the system reported serving
84010, 84044, 84047, 84054, 84084, 84092, 84093, 84101, 84102, 84103, 84104, 84105, 84106, 84107, 84108, 84109, 84111, 84112, 84113, 84115, 84116, 84117, 84119, 84120, 84121, 84124, 84128, 84138, 84143, 84150
Nearby utilities
- University of Utah Water System Salt Lake City · same area
- Granger-Hunter Improvement District West Valley City · 7 mi
- Kearns Improvement District West Valley City · 7 mi
- Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District Taylorsville · 8 mi
- Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District West Jordan · 13 mi
- West Jordan City Water System West Jordan · 13 mi
Questions
Is Salt Lake City Water System water safe to drink?
Salt Lake City Water System 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 Salt Lake City Water System water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Salt Lake City Water System found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Salt Lake City Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Salt Lake City Water System is 2.51 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 UTAH18026: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID UTAH18026).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Salt Lake City 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: (801) 483-6864.
- Salt Lake City 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.