What was found in Cheney'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 1250 µg/L 13% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 2700 µg/L — CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 1250 µg/L 13% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2018 | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 481.35 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2018
Highest in the city: 1081.75 µg/L — CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 11.3115 µg/L 0.9% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2018
Highest in the city: 268.088 µg/L — CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 67.335 µg/L 3.4% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2018 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Lithium | 20.5 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2025 | 2/3 | UCMR-5 |
| TTHM | 19.086 µg/L 24% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 8.762 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 11.4 µg/L — CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 6.5735 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 4.246 µg/L 7.1% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 5.92 µg/L — CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2018 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 4.46 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroacetic Acid | 2.344 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 4.1 µg/L — CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 3.173 pCi/L 63% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Highest in the city: CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2015 | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Dichloroacetic Acid | 2.3125 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 3.09 µg/L — VALLEY OF THE HORSES WATER DIST #12 · 70 people · 2017 | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Cyanide | 2.5 µg/L 1.3% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L Highest in the city: CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Bromoform | 0.7800 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 1.835 µg/L — CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Arsenic | 1.33 µg/L 13% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 people · 2018 | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 0.9000 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Highest in the city: CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Selenium | 0.7900 µg/L 1.6% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Highest in the city: CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 0.6770 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Antimony, Total | 0.4000 µg/L 6.7% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Highest in the city: CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Beryllium, Total | 0.2000 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 4 µg/L Highest in the city: CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Thallium, Total | 0.1000 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L Highest in the city: CHENEY CITY OF · 16,954 people · 2019 | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 0.0065 mg/L 43% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 17,108 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 Cheney
| Supplier | Population served |
|---|---|
| EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | 17,108 |
| CHENEY CITY OF | 16,954 |
| VALLEY OF THE HORSES WATER DIST #12 | 70 |
Frequently asked questions about Cheney tap water
Is Cheney tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 24 contaminants in the water serving Cheney. 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 Cheney?
3 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Cheney, Washington to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Cheney's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Cheney include Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, Copper, Barium. 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.