Is Vancouver, WA Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Vancouver'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	5130 µg/L 51% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	11/11	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	4600 µg/L 46% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	4/11	SYR4
Fluoride	1000 µg/L 25% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L	4/11	SYR4
TTHM	84.3 µg/L 105% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 80 µg/L	5/11	SYR4
Barium	78.9 µg/L 3.9% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L	4/11	SYR4
Copper	52 µg/L 4% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L	5/11	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	42.61 µg/L 71% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L	4/11	SYR4
Chloroform	38 µg/L No EPA limit set	5/11	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	29 µg/L No EPA limit set	3/11	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	18 µg/L No EPA limit set	4/11	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	18 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/11	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	17 µg/L No EPA limit set	3/11	SYR4
Arsenic	6 µg/L 60% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L	2/11	SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid	4.6 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/11	SYR4
Chromium	4 µg/L 4% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L	3/11	SYR4
Gross Beta Particle Activity	3.3 pCi/L No EPA limit set	1/11	SYR4
Lead	2.6 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L	1/11	SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid	2.6 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/11	SYR4
Bromoform	1.5 µg/L No EPA limit set	3/11	SYR4
1,1,1-Trichloroethane	1.1 µg/L 0.6% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L	1/11	SYR4
1,1-Dichloroethylene	1.1 µg/L 16% of the EPA limit 7 µg/L	1/11	SYR4
Monobromoacetic Acid	0.8100 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/11	SYR4
Trichloroethylene	0.7900 µg/L 16% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L	2/11	SYR4
Xylenes, Total	0.5100 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	1/11	SYR4
PFOS	0.0186 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/11	UCMR-5
PFOA	0.0115 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/11	UCMR-5
PFBS	0.0076 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/11	UCMR-5
Pfpea	0.0074 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/11	UCMR-5
Pfhxa	0.0073 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/11	UCMR-5
PFHXS	0.0066 µg/L No EPA limit set	2/11	UCMR-5
Pfhpa	0.0030 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/11	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0029 mg/L 19% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	11/11	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 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 Vancouver

Supplier	Population served
VANCOUVER CITY OF	373,047
CLARK PUBLIC UTILITIES	153,526
YACOLT	3,034
AMBOY CLARK PUBLIC UTILITIES	991
VISTA DEL RIO MOBILE HOME PARK	352
GREAT WESTERN MOBILE HOME PARK	250
OAK MEADOWS MOBILE HOME PARK	216
HILLCREST MANOR	100
SINGLE TREE ACRES	90
MORNING MEADOWS	75
BRIDGE ROAD	25

Frequently asked questions about Vancouver tap water

Is Vancouver tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 32 contaminants in the water serving Vancouver. 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 Vancouver?

11 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Vancouver, Washington to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Vancouver's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Vancouver include Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, TTHM, Barium. 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.