Is St Helens, OR Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in St Helens'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
Nitrate	6400 µg/L 64% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	5/5	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	3250 µg/L 33% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	4/5	SYR4
Copper	1020 µg/L 78% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L	5/5	SYR4
Fluoride	420 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L	4/5	SYR4
Nitrite	76.1 µg/L 7.6% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L	3/5	SYR4
Barium	50 µg/L 2.5% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L	4/5	SYR4
TTHM	31.7 µg/L 40% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Arsenic	19 µg/L 190% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 10 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Lead	12 µg/L 80% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L	4/5	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	9.6 µg/L 16% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L	1/5	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	2.81 pCi/L 56% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L	1/5	SYR4
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	2.4 pCi/L 16% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L	1/5	SYR4
Lead	0.1660 mg/L 1107% above the EPA limit of 0.0150 mg/L	5/5	LCR
PFBS	0.0155 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/5	UCMR-5

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 St Helens

Supplier	Population served
ST HELENS, CITY OF	13,410
MCNULTY WATER PUD	2,500
WARREN WATER ASSOCIATION	2,050
DEER ISLAND WATERWORKS	90
DEER ISLAND HEIGHTS WS	60

Frequently asked questions about St Helens tap water

Is St Helens tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 14 contaminants in the water serving St Helens. 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 St Helens?

5 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for St Helens, Oregon to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in St Helens's water?

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