Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in New Orleans, LA tap water
20 contaminants were measured in the New Orleans, LA 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
- 1
- Service area
- LA
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
2 PFAS compounds above EPA limits in New Orleans, LA
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.
PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.1×)below national p90 (19.900000000000006 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.0×)below national p90 (13.649999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Lithium
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (76.59999999999991 mg/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBA
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (18 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
New Orleans, LA's drinking water comes from surface water, drawn from 2 sources.
Source
- NEW INTAKE DOWNSTREAM
- SURFACE WATER RAW INTAKE
Treatment
- SURFACE WATER TREATMENT PLANT
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
2 contaminants historically over EPA limits in New Orleans, LA
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
TTHM worst: 2015 | 0.141 mg/L 1.8× | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
HAA5 worst: 2015 | 0.0701 mg/L 1.2× | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
GROSS BETA worst: 2017 | 2.81 mrem/yr within | 4 mrem/yr | '16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2017 | 2.3 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'15'16'17'18'19 |
SIMAZINE worst: 2014 | 0.00076 mg/L within | 0.004 mg/L | '14 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2018 | 0.71 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DEHP worst: 2014 | 0.00105 mg/L within | 0.006 mg/L | '12'13'14'18 |
ARSENIC worst: 2012 | 0.001 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '12'13 |
ATRAZINE worst: 2019 | 0.00028 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.003 mg/L | '18'19 |
CYANIDE worst: 2015 | 0.0067 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.2 mg/L | '15 |
BARIUM worst: 2017 | 0.029 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '15'16'17'18'19 |
SELENIUM worst: 2017 | 0.00068 mg/L within | 0.05 mg/L | '16'17 |
DALAPON worst: 2013 | 0.0397 ug/L within 9.3× the national p90 | 200 ug/L | '12'13'14 |
URANIUM worst: 2017 | 0.0015 ug/L within below national p90 | 30 ug/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17 |
COPPER worst: 2013 | 0.1 mg/L below national p90 | — | '13'15'16'17'18'19 |
LEAD worst: 2013 | 0.002 mg/L | — | '13'16'19 |
DBAA worst: 2013 | 0.0013 mg/L | — | '13'15'16'17'19 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.024 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
MBAA worst: 2015 | 0.0011 mg/L | — | '15'16 |
MCAA worst: 2012 | 0.003 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.014 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.0045 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.032 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.00101 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.03–1.44Reported levelWestbank | 1.499MCL | Approaching the limit |
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 1–1.14Reported levelWestbank | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acidHFPO-DA ('GenX chemicals'), a newer-generation PFAS replacement compound. | 0–5.4 ng/LReported levelEastbank | 10 ng/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| Perfluorohexanoic acidPerfluorohexanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0–3 ng/LReported levelEastbank | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoropentanoic acidPerfluoropentanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0–8.8 ng/LReported levelEastbank | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | 0–0.366 pCi/LReported levelEastbank | 5 pCi/LMCL | Within the limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.1–3.3 mg/LReported levelEastbank | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 0–4.9 %Reported levelEastbank | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about New Orleans, LA's water
+Is New Orleans, LA tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 20 contaminants measured in New Orleans, LA'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 New Orleans, LA tap water?
20 contaminants were measured in New Orleans, LA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning pfas ("forever chemicals"), metals, 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.
+Are any contaminants in New Orleans, LA tap water approaching the federal limit?
One contaminant is between 80% and 100% of the federal limit in this report: Turbidity. Approaching means measured but not in violation — a margin that can close quickly if conditions change.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from New Orleans, LA'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 New Orleans, LA'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.