# Regional Water Authority, CT — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

> Contaminant levels for the Regional Water Authority, CT public water system from its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ct/regional-water-authority/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ct/regional-water-authority/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: 27
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 8
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 3
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 0–2.7 mg/L (Average) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Bromodichloromethane | Disinfection byproducts | 3.5–10.6 ug/L (Reported level) | Distribution | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Chloroform | Disinfection byproducts | 15.9–52.6 ug/L (Reported level) | Distribution | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Dibromochloromethane | Disinfection byproducts | 0–1.6 ug/L (Reported level) | Distribution | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 12.4–40.7 ug/L (Reported level) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Chloride | Inorganic chemicals | 2.9–105 mg/L (Average) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.17–1.3 mg/L (Average) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 0–4.61 mg/L (Average) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Sulfate | Inorganic chemicals | 6.4–38.6 mg/L (Average) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.004–0.26 mg/L (Average) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.27 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 0.0 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 0.015 mg/L (Action level) | None detected |
| Manganese | Metals | 0–0.21 mg/L (Reported level) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 7.4–50.8 mg/L (Reported level) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Microbial | 0 % (Maximum) | Level Detected During 2024 | No federal limit | None detected |
| Dbaa | Other | 0–0.9 ug/L (Reported level) | Distribution | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Dcaa | Other | 4.1–15.1 ug/L (Reported level) | Distribution | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Mbaa | Other | 0–2.6 ug/L (Reported level) | Distribution | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Mcaa | Other | 1–5.7 ug/L (Reported level) | Distribution | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Tcaa | Other | 4.5–22.4 ug/L (Reported level) | Distribution | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–3.5 ng/L (Average) | Average Concentration and | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoropentanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–3.1 ng/L (Average) | Average Concentration and | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–7.1 ng/L (Average) | Average Concentration and | 4 ng/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| PFOS | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–10.7 ng/L (Average) | Average Concentration and | 4 ng/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1.35–2.59 (Reported level) | All Reservoirs | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0–98 NTU (Average) | Removal Ratio During 2024 | No federal limit | At or above the limit |
| Radon | Radionuclides | 0–1856 pCi/L (Reported level) | Average Level and Range Detected During 2024 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal 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.
- **Bromodichloromethane** — A trihalomethane disinfection byproduct. Counted within regulated total trihalomethanes; long-term exposure is associated with cancer and reproductive effects.
- **Chloroform** — A trihalomethane formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water. A component of regulated total trihalomethanes; long-term exposure is linked to liver and kidney effects.
- **Dibromochloromethane** — A trihalomethane disinfection byproduct. Part of regulated total trihalomethanes; long-term exposure is linked to nervous-system, liver, and kidney effects.
- **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.
- **Chloride** — A naturally occurring salt compound. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels cause a salty taste and can corrode pipes.
- **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.
- **Sulfate** — A naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. No health-based federal limit; high levels can have a laxative effect and a bitter taste.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **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.
- **Manganese** — A naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. No enforceable federal limit; high levels stain fixtures and laundry and can affect taste, with a health advisory for infants.
- **Sodium** — A naturally occurring salt component. Not federally regulated for health; relevant for people on sodium-restricted diets.
- **Escherichia coli (E. coli)** — Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. Its presence in drinking water indicates fecal contamination and a real risk of waterborne illness.
- **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.
- **Perfluoropentanoic acid** — Perfluoropentanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment.
- **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.
- **Radon** — A naturally occurring radioactive gas that can dissolve into groundwater. No enforceable federal limit in drinking water yet; inhalation of released radon raises lung-cancer risk.

## 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 2026-07-28 from thewatermap.com._