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Tap water quality report

Salem, KY

EPA monitoring detected 17 contaminants across the 2 water suppliers serving Salem. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — see the level at the main supplier for each below, with its EPA source and period.

2
water suppliers
10,812
people served
17
contaminants found
Kentucky rankings Lead in Kentucky PFAS in Kentucky

What was found in Salem'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.

ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitSuppliersSource
Fluoride
1100 µg/L 28%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Nitrate
750 µg/L 7.5%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite
721 µg/L 7.2%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2018
1/2 SYR4
Copper
88.49999999999994 µg/L 6.8%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 221.99999999999974 µg/L — SALEM MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM · 1,241 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
TTHM
71.19999999999999 µg/L 89%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
53.59999999999999 µg/L 89%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Barium
25.7 µg/L 1.3%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Lead
24.599999999999994 µg/L 164%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
2/2 SYR4
Cyanide
10 µg/L 5%
of the EPA limit 200 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U
2.35 pCi/L 16%
of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2017
1/2 SYR4
Atrazine
0.7720 µg/L 26%
of the EPA limit 3 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)
0.7620 pCi/L 15%
of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2017
1/2 SYR4
Mercury
0.4000 µg/L 20%
of the EPA limit 2 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Ethylene Dibromide
0.0300 µg/L 60%
of the EPA limit 0.0500 µg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2019
1/2 SYR4
Pfba
0.0083 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2024
1/2 UCMR-5
PFOS
0.0073 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2024
1/2 UCMR-5
Lead
0.0 mg/L 0%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT · 9,571 people · 2023
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 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 Salem

SupplierPopulation served
CRITTENDEN-LIVINGSTON CO WATER DISTRICT 9,571
SALEM MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM 1,241

Frequently asked questions about Salem tap water

Is Salem tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 17 contaminants in the water serving Salem. 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 Salem?

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

What contaminants are in Salem's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Salem include Fluoride, Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Copper, 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.