What was found in Lake Charles'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barium | 460 µg/L 23% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 1767 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2019 | 12/17 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 1000 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019 | 10/17 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 300 µg/L 23% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 760 µg/L — MOSSVILLE WW DISTRICT NO 2 · 618 people · 2018 | 16/17 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 228.5 µg/L 5.7% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 524 µg/L — QUAIL RIDGE ESTATES WATER SYSTEM · 1,119 people · 2019 | 16/17 | SYR4 |
| TTHM | 31.65 µg/L 40% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 45.03 µg/L — K & P MH & RV PARK WATER SYSTEM · 66 people · 2019 | 17/17 | SYR4 |
| Lithium | 29.1 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 35.7 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2024 | 4/17 | UCMR-5 |
| Trichloroacetic Acid | 2.4 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 29.62 µg/L — EAST PARK SUBDIVISION WATER SYSTEM · 102 people · 2019 | 17/17 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 3.6 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 21.68 µg/L — EAST PARK SUBDIVISION WATER SYSTEM · 102 people · 2019 | 17/17 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 11.795 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 21.4 µg/L — MOSSVILLE WW DISTRICT NO 2 · 618 people · 2019 | 17/17 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 12.4 µg/L 83% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 20.65 µg/L — CLEARVIEW MOBILE HOME PARK · 141 people · 2018 | 15/17 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 20.35 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Highest in the city: QUAIL RIDGE ESTATES WATER SYSTEM · 1,119 people · 2019 | 3/17 | SYR4 |
| Monochloroacetic Acid | 11.95 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 19.055 µg/L — MOSSVILLE WW DISTRICT NO 2 · 618 people · 2019 | 9/17 | SYR4 |
| Bromoform | 11.74 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 18.525 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2019 | 15/17 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 13.45 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 16.175 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2019 | 17/17 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 7.27 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 14.33 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT 8 · 6,834 people · 2019 | 17/17 | SYR4 |
| Dichloroacetic Acid | 3.88 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 9.32 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT 8 · 6,834 people · 2019 | 17/17 | SYR4 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 4.545 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 6.625 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 1 · 20,837 people · 2019 | 17/17 | SYR4 |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | 3.89 pCi/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 5.85 pCi/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2019 | 11/17 | SYR4 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 1.7554 pCi/L 35% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 5.8 pCi/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2019 | 13/17 | SYR4 |
| Arsenic | 5.5 µg/L 55% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Highest in the city: OAK PINE MOBILE HOME PARK WATER SYSTEM · 240 people · 2019 | 11/17 | SYR4 |
| Monobromoacetic Acid | 1.535 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 4.345 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2019 | 10/17 | SYR4 |
| Dalapon | 4.3 µg/L 2.2% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L Highest in the city: QUAIL RIDGE ESTATES WATER SYSTEM · 1,119 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate | 1.366 µg/L 23% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 3.482 µg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 1 · 20,837 people · 2017 | 13/17 | SYR4 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U | 3.14 pCi/L 21% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Highest in the city: CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2016 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Combined Uranium | 1.49 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Highest in the city: GARDEN HEIGHTS WATER SYSTEM · 465 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| 2,4-D | 1.1 µg/L 1.6% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L Highest in the city: OAK MEADOWS SUBDIVISION WATER SYSTEM · 318 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Antimony, Total | 1 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2019 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Hexachlorobenzene | 0.6600 µg/L 66% of the EPA limit 1 µg/L Highest in the city: CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2019 | 3/17 | SYR4 |
| Toluene | 0.5000 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Highest in the city: GULF STREAM MANOR WATER SYSTEM · 1,368 people · 2017 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| P-Dichlorobenzene | 0.3100 µg/L 0.4% of the EPA limit 75 µg/L Highest in the city: QUAIL RIDGE ESTATES WATER SYSTEM · 1,119 people · 2019 | 2/17 | SYR4 |
| Mercury | 0.1200 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L Highest in the city: K & P MH & RV PARK WATER SYSTEM · 66 people · 2018 | 1/17 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 0.00084 mg/L 5.6% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: CITY OF LAKE CHARLES WATER SYSTEM · 79,500 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0040 mg/L — CALCASIEU PARISH WW DISTRICT NO 5 · 5,088 people · 2025 | 17/17 | 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 Lake Charles
Frequently asked questions about Lake Charles tap water
Is Lake Charles tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 32 contaminants in the water serving Lake Charles. 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 Lake Charles?
17 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Lake Charles, Louisiana to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Lake Charles's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Lake Charles include Barium, Nitrate-Nitrite, Copper, Fluoride, 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.