Look up your public water system and see what EPA’s records say about lead: the utility’s lead test results over the last few years, violations, and how to reach the utility. Enter a ZIP code, a street address, or a city and state.
In short: this shows system-level data from EPA. It is not a test of the water at your tap, and it can’t tell you whether your home has lead pipes. Only a test of your own tap water can do that.
How the lookup works
- Finding your water system: a street address is located with the US Census Bureau’s geocoder, and a ZIP code with the center point of the Census ZIP code area. That point is matched against EPA’s map of water system service areas. About half of those boundaries come from utilities and states, and the rest are estimated, so the match is approximate. A city and state search uses EPA’s list of community water systems serving that city.
- The records: lead results, violations and compliance come from EPA’s ECHO Detailed Facility Report, which draws on the federal drinking water database (SDWIS). The utility’s phone number comes from EPA’s water system record. EPA updates this data every quarter, and we refresh our copy every 30 days.
- Private wells are not in these records. If you have a well, a state-certified lab can test it; see how to test water for lead.
How to read the lead results
Utilities test tap water in a set of homes, usually homes more likely to have lead pipes, and report the 90th percentile: 90% of the sampled homes were at or below that number. The chart shows each monitoring period in parts per billion (ppb), the same as micrograms per liter (µg/L).
- 15 ppb is the lead action level under EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule today. If a system’s 90th percentile is above it, the utility must take steps such as treating the water to reduce corrosion, informing the public and replacing lead service lines.
- 10 ppb is the action level under EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which applies from November 1, 2027.
- An action level is a trigger for the utility to act. It is not a safe level for your tap: EPA’s health goal for lead in drinking water is zero, because no level of lead is known to be safe.
- No recent results does not mean no lead. Small systems may sample only every three years, and the federal data can lag the utility’s own records by several months.
Your utility’s water quality report and service line inventory
Community water systems must send customers an annual water quality report, the Consumer Confidence Report, by July 1 each year. Many utilities post it on their website; you can also search EPA’s CCR search or call the utility. Utilities also had to complete an inventory of service line materials by October 16, 2024. Ask yours whether the line to your address is lead, galvanized, unknown or non-lead, and about any replacement program. See lead pipes and lead service line replacement.
What to do next
- Test your own tap water with a state-certified lab, or ask your utility about free lead sampling. See how to test water for lead.
- While you wait, use a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 (or 58 for reverse osmosis) for lead reduction, and use cold water for drinking, cooking and baby formula. See certified filters.
- Check your result with the Lead Test Results Interpreter.
Frequently asked questions
Does a low 90th percentile mean my water has no lead?
No. Lead usually comes from the service line and plumbing at each home, so one home can have much more lead than the utility’s numbers suggest. Testing your own tap is the only way to know.
Why does the lookup show a different utility than the one on my bill?
Service area boundaries can overlap, and some are estimated. Some utilities also buy water from a larger wholesaler. Choose the system named on your water bill from the list, or search by city and state.
Do you store what I type?
We don’t save your address or ZIP code. Our server looks up the location with the Census Bureau and EPA services and keeps only the public water system records in a short-term cache.
Questions about your drinking water can also go to EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.