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Tap water quality report

City of Baltimore

EPA monitoring tested this supplier for 107 contaminants and detected 25. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — the level and EPA source for each is below.

107
contaminants tested
25
detected
1,600,000
people served
23
health-based violations
Maryland rankingsLead in MarylandPFAS in Maryland
Water source
Surface water
Ownership
Local government
Counties served
Baltimore city

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

23
health-based violations
69
violations on file
0
still open
ViolationTypeStatusPeriod
MCL Health-based Archived 2026-01-01 → 2026-03-31
MCL Health-based Archived 2026-01-01 → 2026-03-31
MCL Health-based Archived 2026-01-01 → 2026-03-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2022-09-01 → 2022-09-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2022-09-01 → 2022-09-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2022-09-01 → 2022-09-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2022-09-01 → 2022-09-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2016-01-01 → 2016-03-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2016-01-01 → 2016-03-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2016-01-01 → 2016-03-31

PFAS detected

PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest nationwide test results (2023–2025).
ContaminantMaxDetection ratePeriod
Pfpea 0.0030 µg/L 1/12 2025

Other contaminants detected

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.
ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitDetection rateSourcePeriod
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
103 µg/L 172%
of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 60 µg/L
 737/739 SYR4 2012–2019
TTHM
115 µg/L 144%
of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 80 µg/L
 731/732 SYR4 2012–2019
Chloroform
101 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 416/419 SYR4 2012–2019
Bromodichloromethane
13 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 412/415 SYR4 2012–2019
Trichloroacetic Acid
63 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 404/405 SYR4 2012–2015
Dichloroacetic Acid
43 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 396/402 SYR4 2012–2015
Dibromochloromethane
3 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 370/389 SYR4 2012–2019
Monochloroacetic Acid
21 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 133/406 SYR4 2012–2015
Dibromoacetic Acid
3 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 114/398 SYR4 2012–2015
Nitrate
3800 µg/L 38%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
 48/48 SYR4 2012–2019
Monobromoacetic Acid
3 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 42/404 SYR4 2012–2015
Fluoride
1620 µg/L 41%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
 40/40 SYR4 2012–2019
Lead
0.0027 mg/L 18%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
 16/16 LCR 2024
Barium
36.1 µg/L 1.8%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
 14/18 SYR4 2012–2019
Nitrate-Nitrite
2840 µg/L 28%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
 14/14 SYR4 2012–2019
Atrazine
3.9 µg/L 130%
of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 3 µg/L
 7/64 SYR4 2012–2019
Bromoform
1 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 6/419 SYR4 2012–2018
Chlordane
0.0220 µg/L 1.1%
of the EPA limit 2 µg/L
 3/43 SYR4 2012–2019
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)
1.6 pCi/L 32%
of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L
 3/6 SYR4 2018–2019
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U
3.7 pCi/L 25%
of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L
 2/9 SYR4 2013–2019
Gross Beta Particle Activity
5 pCi/L
No EPA limit set
 2/5 SYR4 2013–2018
Nitrite
10 µg/L 1%
of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L
 2/25 SYR4 2012–2019
Simazine
1.4 µg/L 35%
of the EPA limit 4 µg/L
 2/59 SYR4 2012–2019
Toxaphene
0.1290 µg/L 4.3%
of the EPA limit 3 µg/L
 1/33 SYR4 2012–2019
82 contaminants tested, none detected
1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalArsenicBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCopperCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChromiumDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebEthylene DibromideEndrinEthylbenzeneHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoLeadMercuryMethoxychlorNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaOxamylPfbaPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPfhxaPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOAPFOSPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneTotal Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)TrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact
SAYAN, PAUL
Phone
410-396-3500
Email
Paul.Sayan@baltimorecity.gov

Frequently asked questions about City of Baltimore

Is City of Baltimore tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 25 contaminants in City of Baltimore's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in City of Baltimore's water?

EPA monitoring detected Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), TTHM, Chloroform, Bromodichloromethane, Trichloroacetic Acid, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does City of Baltimore serve?

City of Baltimore reports serving 1,600,000 people in Maryland, per its EPA record.

Has City of Baltimore had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 69 violations on file for City of Baltimore, of which 23 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

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.