Is Fort Payne, AL Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Fort Payne's water

The highest level seen across the city's suppliers, the EPA limit for each, and where the figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Fluoride	640 µg/L 16% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L	2/2	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	640 µg/L 6.4% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	2/2	SYR4
Nitrate	610 µg/L 6.1% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	2/2	SYR4
Copper	209 µg/L 16% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L	1/2	SYR4
TTHM	110 µg/L 138% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 80 µg/L	2/2	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	87.2 µg/L 145% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 60 µg/L	2/2	SYR4
Nitrite	60 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L	1/2	SYR4
Barium	38.8 µg/L 1.9% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L	2/2	SYR4
Chloroform	33 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/2	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	10.4 pCi/L 69% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L	2/2	SYR4
Selenium	10.4 µg/L 21% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L	1/2	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	6.77 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/2	SYR4
Chromium	3.4 µg/L 3.4% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L	1/2	SYR4
Lead	2.04 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L	1/2	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	1.9 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/2	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	0.9500 pCi/L 19% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L	1/2	SYR4
Arsenic	0.6300 µg/L 6.3% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L	1/2	SYR4
Chlorobenzene	0.5180 µg/L 0.5% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L	1/2	SYR4
PFOA	0.0119 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/2	UCMR-5
Pfba	0.0113 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/2	UCMR-5
Pfhpa	0.0076 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/2	UCMR-5
Pfhxa	0.0072 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/2	UCMR-5
PFBS	0.0057 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/2	UCMR-5
Pfpea	0.0057 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/2	UCMR-5
PFOS	0.0056 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/2	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0013 mg/L 8.9% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	2/2	LCR

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the single worst sample on record — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Fort Payne

Supplier	Population served
NORTHEAST ALABAMA WATER SEWER AND FPD	47,070
FORT PAYNE, THE WW BD OF THE CITY OF	25,107

Frequently asked questions about Fort Payne tap water

Is Fort Payne tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 26 contaminants in the water serving Fort Payne. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Fort Payne?

2 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Fort Payne, Alabama to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Fort Payne's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Fort Payne include Fluoride, Nitrate-Nitrite, Nitrate, Copper, TTHM. The full list, with the highest level found and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.