Is Everett, WA tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Everett Public Works Dept. · serves 215,774 people (29,254 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID WA5324050
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Everett gets its water from City of Everett Public Works Dept.. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Riverside Water District #1 (48 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 level3.5 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 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 Everett Public Works Dept.'s 2026 water quality report (PDF) (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Feb 2023 to Nov 2023. "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: 3.5 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 2.2 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 2.4 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2012 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 2.6 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 2.6 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 2000 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1997 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 8 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 | 1.1 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.31 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.28 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.016 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 80 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Everett
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 98201, 98203, 98204, 98205, 98206, 98207, 98208, 98213, 98258, 98272, 98290
Nearby utilities
- Snohomish County Public Utility District 1 – Lake Stevens Lake Stevens · 6 mi
- Alderwood Water District North Lynnwood · 8 mi
- Marysville Utilities Marysville · 9 mi
- City of Lynnwood Lynnwood · 10 mi
- Silver Lake Water & Sewer District Maltby · 11 mi
- Woodinville Water District Woodinville · 14 mi
Questions
Is Everett tap water safe to drink?
Most of Everett gets its water from City of Everett Public Works Dept.. City of Everett Public Works 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 Everett water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Everett Public Works Dept. for 29 PFAS between Feb 2023 and Nov 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Everett water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Everett Public Works Dept. is 3.5 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 WA5324050: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID WA5324050).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Everett Public Works Dept.'s 2026 water quality report (PDF): the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026).
- City of Everett Public Works Dept. 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.