City of Auburn water quality
Auburn, WA · serves 107,655 people (24,353 connections) · Groundwater · Local government · EPA ID WA5303350
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Bonney Lake Water Department City, Lakehaven Water and Sewer District, City of Tacoma Water Division, Kent Water Department. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
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 level2.2 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
- 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 City of Auburn'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. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 6 entry points tested Nov 2024 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) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.002 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 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 12 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 2.2 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3.1 ppb (Dec 2020).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 2.2 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Jun 2021 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | 3.1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 1.1 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 2 ppb |
| Sep 2003 – Feb 2004 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Jun 2003 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 1993 – Jun 1993 | 6 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 1.5 ppm (Jun 1993), 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
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 | 19.9 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 100 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 4 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.11 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.46 ppb | – |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 98001, 98002, 98030, 98071, 98092
Nearby utilities
- Covington Water District Auburn · same area · PFAS above limit
- Highline Water District Kent · 6 mi
- Kent Water Department Kent · 6 mi
- Lakehaven Water and Sewer District Federal Way · 6 mi
- City of Puyallup Puyallup · 9 mi
- City of Renton Renton · 12 mi
Questions
Is City of Auburn water safe to drink?
City of Auburn 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 City of Auburn water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Auburn found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in City of Auburn water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Auburn is 2.2 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 WA5303350: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID WA5303350).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Auburn, 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.