Is Ponce, PR Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Ponce'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
Lithium	25.27 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	1/27	UCMR-5
PFOS	0.0256 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	2/27	UCMR-5
PFHXS	0.0167 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	2/27	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0060 mg/L 40% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2014 Highest in the city: 0.0160 mg/L — HOGARES SEGUROS · 192 people · 2006	18/27	LCR
PFBS	0.0092 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	2/27	UCMR-5
Pfpea	0.0074 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	1/27	UCMR-5
Pfhxa	0.0072 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	1/27	UCMR-5
Pfba	0.0071 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	2/27	UCMR-5
PFOA	0.0051 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	1/27	UCMR-5
Pfdoa	0.0032 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: PONCE URBANO · 113,972 people · 2024	1/27	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 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 Ponce

Supplier	Population served
PONCE URBANO	113,972
SANTA ISABEL URBANO	39,925
OROCOVIS URBANO	16,992
COTTO LAUREL	12,979
GUAYANILLA URBANO	7,302
ENSENADA	6,130
CERRILLOS	5,658
VILLALBA URBANO	3,073
ADJUNTAS URBANO	2,870
REAL ANON	2,814
GUARAGUAO	935
ANON CARMELITA	900
SALTILLO VACA	798
ASOC. CIVICA PASTILLO TIBES	652
APEADERO	334
BO. MONTE LLANOS	327
ACUED. COMUNAL RIO CHIQUITO	320
SERVICIO DE AGUA	300
ESTANCIAS DEL MADRIGAL	258
ACUED. COMUNAL SECT. SANTAS PASCUAS, INC	240
HOGARES SEGUROS	192
PONCE DARLINGTON ELDERLY	160
EL TESORO	135
TIBES	134
LAS MESAS	120
ACUED. COMUNITARIO VILLAS DE MONTE VERDE	120
LA CARMELITA	38

Frequently asked questions about Ponce tap water

Is Ponce tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 10 contaminants in the water serving Ponce. 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 Ponce?

27 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Ponce, PR to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Ponce's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Ponce include Lithium, PFOS, PFHXS, Lead, PFBS. 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.