University of Utah Water System water quality
Salt Lake City, UT · serves 57,080 people (243 connections) · Purchased surface water · State · EPA ID UTAH18057
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Salt Lake City Water System. 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 2 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level5.5 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
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Mar 2022.
- 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 University of Utah Water System'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 (801) 587-8089. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested May 2025 to Nov 2025. "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 1 of 2 samples. Highest result 9.41 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Below 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: 5.5 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 11.6 ppb (Dec 2022).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 5.5 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 4.3 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 6.7 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2022 | 11.6 ppb |
| Jul 2021 – Dec 2021 | 9.7 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Jun 2021 | 4.5 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | 5.9 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 2001 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1994 – Dec 1994 | 2 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 1.89 ppm (Dec 2021), action level 1,300 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 |
|---|---|
| Mar 2022 | 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.
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 84112
Nearby utilities
- Salt Lake City 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 University of Utah Water System water safe to drink?
University of Utah 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 University of Utah Water System water have PFAS?
EPA tested University of Utah Water System for 29 PFAS between May 2025 and Nov 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in University of Utah Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for University of Utah Water System is 5.5 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 UTAH18057: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID UTAH18057).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask University of Utah Water System at (801) 587-8089, 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.