Drinking water quality · 2024
What's in Louisville, KY tap water
20 contaminants were measured in the Louisville, KY water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 20
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- KY
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound above EPA limits in Louisville, KY
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.9×)PFPeA
● Detected (no federal limit)PFHxA
● Detected (no federal limit)PFBS
● Detected (no federal limit)Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Louisville, KY's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 7 sources.
Source
- BE PAYNE · 5
- INTAKE - OHIO RIVER TPA
- INTAKE - OHIO RIVER TPB
Treatment
- B E PAYNE WTP
- CRESCENT HILL WTP
Distribution
Compliance history
Federal Safe Drinking Water Act violation & enforcement records (EPA SDWIS). A violation is a regulatory determination by the state or EPA — separate from the measured levels above.
- Maximum contaminant level exceededHealth-based7 violations on record · most recent Jun 1998resolved
Source: EPA SDWIS / ECHO. View the full federal record on EPA ECHO ↗
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 2.71 mg/LAverageSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTHMTotal trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. | 32.1 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| HAA5Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. | 23.5 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| Chlorite | 0.23 mg/LAverageSystem-wide | 1 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FluorideA mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. | 0.71 mg/LAverageBep | 4 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| NitrateA compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. | 0.84 mg/LAverageCh | 10 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| NitriteA compound from fertilizer runoff, sewage, and erosion of natural deposits. | 0.01 mg/LRangeCh | 1 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | 1.1 ug/L90th percentileSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 0.041 mg/L90th percentileSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| BariumA metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 0.024 mg/LAverageCh | 2 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| Chromium, TotalTotal chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 1.1 ug/LAverageBep | None set | Within the limit |
| NickelA metal from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 0.0013 mg/LAverageCh | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
Other
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twofourd | 0.29 ug/LMaximumCh | None set | Within the limit |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acidHFPO-DA ('GenX chemicals'), a newer-generation PFAS replacement compound. | 0 ng/LReported levelCrescent Hill Water Treatment Plant | 10 ng/LMCL | None detected |
+By source (2)— Crescent Hill Water Treatment Plant, B.E. Payne Water Treatment Plant
| |||
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acidPerfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0 ng/LReported levelCrescent Hill Water Treatment Plant | 10 ng/LMCL | None detected |
+By source (2)— Crescent Hill Water Treatment Plant, B.E. Payne Water Treatment Plant
| |||
| Perfluorononanoic acidPerfluorononanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0 ng/LReported levelCrescent Hill Water Treatment Plant | 10 ng/LMCL | None detected |
+By source (2)— Crescent Hill Water Treatment Plant, B.E. Payne Water Treatment Plant
| |||
| PFOSPerfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. | 0 ng/LReported levelCrescent Hill Water Treatment Plant | 4 ng/LMCL | None detected |
+By source (2)— Crescent Hill Water Treatment Plant, B.E. Payne Water Treatment Plant
| |||
People also ask about Louisville, KY's water
+Is Louisville, KY tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 20 contaminants measured in Louisville, KY's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report is below its federal limit. "Safe" under the EPA's drinking-water standards is health-based, not aesthetic — but by those standards, no measured contaminant in this report exceeds its enforceable threshold. Individual health concerns (e.g. immunocompromised, infant, pregnancy) may warrant additional filtering regardless of compliance.
+What contaminants are in Louisville, KY tap water?
20 contaminants were measured in Louisville, KY's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, pfas ("forever chemicals"), and disinfection byproducts. 11 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Louisville, KY's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is Louisville, KY's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2024 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.