# Tempe, AZ — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

> Contaminant levels for the Tempe, AZ public water system from its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/az/tempe/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/az/tempe/2024
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2024
- Contaminants measured: 29
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 24
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 4
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 0.02–1.1 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 15 ug/L (Running annual avg) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 52 ug/L (Running annual avg) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0–0.97 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 0–7 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 0–5 ug/L (Range) | System-wide | 10 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.04–0.09 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Chromium, Total | Metals | 0–10 ug/L (Range) | System-wide | 100 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.14 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 4.5 ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 15 ug/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Lithium | Metals | 141 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | 9 ug/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| Selenium | Metals | 0–1 ug/L (Range) | System-wide | 50 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Average) | System-wide | 10 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 11 ng/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0.001 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | 0.003 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0.007 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | 0.003 ug/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| Perfluorohexanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0.003 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | 0.003 ug/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| Perfluorononanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Average) | System-wide | 10 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0.001 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | 0.004 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Perfluoropentanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0.002 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | 0.003 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| PFBA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0.001 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | 0.005 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| PFOA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0.005 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | 0.004 ug/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| PFOS | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0.3 ng/L (Average) | System-wide | 4 ng/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1.3–3.6 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.19 NTU (Maximum) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 0–2 pCi/L (Range) | System-wide | 15 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Uranium | Radionuclides | 0–7 ug/L (Range) | System-wide | 30 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Tetrachloroethylene | VOCs & pesticides | 0–0.7 ug/L (Range) | System-wide | 5 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Trichloroethylene | VOCs & pesticides | 0–0.7 ug/L (Range) | System-wide | 5 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chlorine** — A disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. Effective and necessary, but high residual levels can cause taste and odor issues; the EPA caps the residual disinfectant level.
- **HAA5** — Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is associated with an increased cancer risk.
- **TTHM** — Total trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is linked to liver, kidney, and central-nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk.
- **Fluoride** — A mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Beneficial at low levels, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause bone disease and tooth mottling.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Arsenic** — A naturally occurring element that also enters water from industry and agriculture. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure is linked to skin, bladder, and lung cancer.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Chromium, Total** — Total chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause allergic dermatitis; includes hexavalent chromium.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Lithium** — A naturally occurring element found in some groundwater. No enforceable federal limit; on the EPA contaminant candidate list for further study.
- **Selenium** — A trace element from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Essential in tiny amounts, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause hair and fingernail loss and circulatory problems.
- **Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid** — HFPO-DA ('GenX chemicals'), a newer-generation PFAS replacement compound. Regulated by the EPA at 10 parts per trillion and included in the PFAS Hazard Index.
- **Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid** — Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Has no standalone limit but is part of the EPA PFAS Hazard Index that limits PFAS in combination.
- **Perfluoroheptanoic acid** — Perfluoroheptanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment.
- **Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid** — Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Regulated by the EPA at 10 parts per trillion and included in the PFAS Hazard Index.
- **Perfluorohexanoic acid** — Perfluorohexanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent and widely detected.
- **Perfluorononanoic acid** — Perfluorononanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Regulated by the EPA at 10 parts per trillion and included in the PFAS Hazard Index.
- **Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)** — Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment.
- **Perfluoropentanoic acid** — Perfluoropentanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment.
- **PFBA** — Perfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment and the human body.
- **PFOA** — Perfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products. Linked to cancer, liver damage, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
- **PFOS** — Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. Linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
- **TOC** — Total organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. Not harmful itself, but it is the raw material that forms disinfection byproducts; removal is a treatment requirement.
- **Turbidity** — A measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. High turbidity can shelter microbes from disinfection; the EPA enforces it through a treatment-technique standard.
- **Gross Alpha** — Gross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases cancer risk.
- **Uranium** — A naturally occurring radioactive metal from erosion of natural deposits. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can damage the kidneys and increase cancer risk.
- **Tetrachloroethylene** — An industrial solvent (PCE) used in dry cleaning and degreasing. A likely human carcinogen; long-term exposure above the federal limit can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Trichloroethylene** — An industrial solvent (TCE) used in metal degreasing. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure above the federal limit can damage the liver.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-05-25 from thewatermap.com._