Is Jackson, KY Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Jackson's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Fluoride	1263 µg/L 32% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Highest in the city: JACKSON MUNICIPAL WATER WORKS · 4,704 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Nitrate	400 µg/L 4% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: JACKSON MUNICIPAL WATER WORKS · 4,704 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Copper	357.4999999999998 µg/L 27% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: BREATHITT CO WATER DISTRICT · 5,068 people · 2017	3/3	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	280 µg/L 2.8% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: JACKSON MUNICIPAL WATER WORKS · 4,704 people · 2014	1/3	SYR4
TTHM	101.36999999999999 µg/L 127% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 80 µg/L Main supplier: BREATHITT CO WATER DISTRICT · 5,068 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	70.3 µg/L 117% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 60 µg/L Main supplier: BREATHITT CO WATER DISTRICT · 5,068 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Barium	51.85 µg/L 2.6% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Highest in the city: MT CARMEL HIGH BOARDING SCHOOL · 100 people · 2017	2/3	SYR4
Lithium	20.3 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BREATHITT CO WATER DISTRICT · 5,068 people · 2024	2/3	UCMR-5
Lead	10.099999999999998 µg/L 67% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: BREATHITT CO WATER DISTRICT · 5,068 people · 2017	3/3	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	1.5 pCi/L 30% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Highest in the city: MT CARMEL HIGH BOARDING SCHOOL · 100 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Beryllium, Total	0.1000 µg/L 2.5% of the EPA limit 4 µg/L Highest in the city: JACKSON MUNICIPAL WATER WORKS · 4,704 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: BREATHITT CO WATER DISTRICT · 5,068 people · 2023 Highest in the city: 0.0020 mg/L — MT CARMEL HIGH BOARDING SCHOOL · 100 people · 2023	3/3	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 95th percentile of the system's samples — 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 Jackson

Supplier	Population served
BREATHITT CO WATER DISTRICT	5,068
JACKSON MUNICIPAL WATER WORKS	4,704
MT CARMEL HIGH BOARDING SCHOOL	100

Frequently asked questions about Jackson tap water

Is Jackson tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 12 contaminants in the water serving Jackson. 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 Jackson?

3 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Jackson, Kentucky to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Jackson's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Jackson include Fluoride, Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate-Nitrite, TTHM. The full list, with the level at the main supplier 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.