# New Orleans, LA — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

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

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/la/new-orleans/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/la/new-orleans/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: 20
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 11
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 0
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 0.1–3.3 mg/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 12–27 ug/L (Reported level) | Westbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 13–29 ug/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.46–0.69 mg/L (Reported level) | Westbank | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.1 mg/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | 1.3 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 0–22 ug/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | 0 ug/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Lithium | Metals | 0–14 ng/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Total Coliform | Microbial | 0–4.9 % (Reported level) | Eastbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–5.4 ng/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | 10 ng/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Perfluorohexanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–3 ng/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoropentanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–8.8 ng/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFBA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 5.4–7 ng/L (Reported level) | Westbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–4.1 ng/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | 0 ng/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOS | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–4.5 ng/L (Reported level) | Westbank | 0 ng/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1–1.14 (Reported level) | Westbank | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.03–1.44 (Reported level) | Westbank | 1.499 (MCL) | Approaching the limit |
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | 0–0.366 pCi/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | 5 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | Radionuclides | 2.9 pCi/L (Reported level) | Westbank | 50 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Atrazine | VOCs & pesticides | 0.11 ug/L (Reported level) | Westbank | 3 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Simazine | VOCs & pesticides | 0–0.054 ug/L (Reported level) | Eastbank | 4 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.
- **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.
- **Total Coliform** — A group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. Coliforms themselves are usually harmless, but their presence signals that disease-causing organisms could enter the system.
- **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.
- **Perfluorohexanoic acid** — Perfluorohexanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent and widely detected.
- **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.
- **Combined Radium** — Combined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases the risk of bone cancer.
- **Gross Beta Particle Activity** — Gross beta particle activity — a combined measure of beta-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal screening level increases cancer risk.
- **Atrazine** — A widely used agricultural herbicide that reaches water through runoff. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can affect the cardiovascular and reproductive systems.

## 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._