Contaminant · metal
Lead in drinking water
Lead enters tap water mainly from lead service lines and household plumbing, so the figures here are 90th-percentile results from customer-tap sampling, not source water.
A clearer perspective.highest recorded single-sample basis; sampled 2023–2025. Source: EPA records; Kinlichee Staff Housing BIA (NN0436014).
What the rules say
Lead is regulated by an action level, not an MCL: if more than 10% of a system's tap samples (the 90th percentile) exceed 15 µg/L, the system must take corrective action. The 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements lower the action level to 10 µg/L starting in 2027. EPA's health goal (MCLG) for lead is zero.
What EPA's assessment says
EPA states there is no known safe level of lead in a child's blood and cites effects on behavior, learning and growth in children and cardiovascular effects in adults.
Systems with Lead action-level exceedances
| System | State | Population served | Recorded value | Records / periods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinlichee Staff Housing BIA NN0436014 | Arizona | 80 | 42 ppb | 21 |
| Hermansville Housing Comm. MI0003120 | Michigan | 36 | 29 ppb | 13 |
| Dillon Town of CO0159035 | Colorado | 3,254 | 8 ppb | 17 |
| Freedom Village Elderly Housing CT0866301 | Connecticut | 43 | 5.2 ppb | 14 |
| Big Valley Rancheria Water District 090605164 | California | 417 | 24 ppb | 17 |
| Snowtree Condominium VT0005542 | Vermont | 302 | 19.5 ppb | 13 |
| Twiggs Co.-Kaolin Heights S/D GA2890012 | Georgia | 41 | 5.2 ppb | 22 |
| Suntec Forest Condominium VT0005541 | Vermont | 240 | 3.5 ppb | 13 |
| Mount Snow Village Association VT0005291 | Vermont | 123 | 2.2 ppb | 13 |
| Medford Water Dept. (MWRA) MA3176000 | Massachusetts | 61,700 | 8.4 ppb | 31 |
| Bgwc Westside Terrace (3250002) SC3250002 | South Carolina | 172 | 69 ppb | 8 |
| Ocfs Industry Residential Center NY2701993 | New York | 171 | 1.6 ppb | 8 |
| Palisades Apartments MT0000145 | Montana | 50 | 0 ppb | 11 |
| Amon G Carter Lake WSC TX1690023 | Texas | 750 | 207 ppb | 7 |
| Killington Gateway I Condo Association VT0021207 | Vermont | 68 | 118 ppb | 7 |
| Elgin IL0894380 | Illinois | 114,797 | 53 ppb | 13 |
| Troy City PWS NY4100050 | New York | 51,401 | 10.6 ppb | 10 |
| Garden City (V) NY2902824 | New York | 23,272 | 9.3 ppb | 7 |
| Red Oak Subdivision MO5031416 | Missouri | 50 | 7.3 ppb | 12 |
| Milltown W Dept NJ1212001 | New Jersey | 7,000 | 7.2 ppb | 8 |
| Monroe Water District MA1190000 | Massachusetts | 55 | 6.9 ppb | 9 |
| Harrison Waterworks AR0000062 | Arkansas | 17,455 | 5 ppb | 10 |
| Bgwc Parkwood S/D (3250029) SC3250029 | South Carolina | 311 | 5 ppb | 9 |
| Okemo Village Condominiums VT0005324 | New York | 180 | 3.2 ppb | 8 |
| Benton Harbor MI0000600 | Michigan | 9,103 | 0.8 ppb | 7 |
Filters and testing
NSF/ANSI 53 (lead reduction) or NSF/ANSI 58
A standard number by itself is not a contaminant claim. Check the product's current certification listing and performance data sheet for Lead or the specific contaminant you want to reduce. A utility-level record is not a test of your own faucet.