Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in City of Cambridge, MD tap water
15 contaminants were measured in the City of Cambridge, MD water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 15
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- MD
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound detected in City of Cambridge, MD
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.
Lithium
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (76.59999999999991 mg/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
City of Cambridge, MD's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 9 sources.
Source
- WASHINGTON 3 DO731028
- NATHANS 3 DO720014
- STONE BOUNDARY 2 DO720006
- STONE BOUNDARY 3 DO730182
- + 5 more
Treatment
- GLASGOW WTP WELL 2
- NATHANS ST. WTP WELL 1A 2A 3 4
- STONE BOUNDARY WTP-S.B. 1,2,3
- + 1 more
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
1 contaminant historically over EPA limits in City of Cambridge, MD
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
GROSS BETA worst: 2015 | 6.9 mrem/yr 1.7× | 4 mrem/yr | '12'15'18 |
ANTIMONY worst: 2012 | 0.0046 mg/L within above national p90 | 0.006 mg/L | '12 |
GROSS ALPHA worst: 2012 | 8.6 pCi/L within | 15 pCi/L | '12 |
TTHM worst: 2019 | 0.0279 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2015 | 1.13 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'15'18 |
ARSENIC worst: 2015 | 0.0028 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '12'15'18 |
HAA5 worst: 2019 | 0.0118 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DBAA worst: 2013 | 0.001 mg/L | — | '13'15 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0022 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0015 mg/L | — | '12'14'15 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.0044 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.0074 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.003 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15 |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | 4.1 ug/L90th percentileAt the tap | 15 ug/LAction level | Within the limit |
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 0.18 mg/L90th percentileAt the tap | 1.3 mg/LAction level | Within the limit |
| Chromium, TotalTotal chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 0.0043–0.0056 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | 2 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| BariumA metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 0.0053 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 2 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| NickelA metal from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | Not detected mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 139 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NitrateA compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. | Not detected mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 10 mg/LMCL | None detected |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | Not detected pCi/LReported levelSystem-wide | 5 pCi/LMCL | None detected |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.1–1.6 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about City of Cambridge, MD's water
+Is City of Cambridge, MD tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 15 contaminants measured in City of Cambridge, MD'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 City of Cambridge, MD tap water?
15 contaminants were measured in City of Cambridge, MD's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, disinfection byproducts, and inorganic chemicals. 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 City of Cambridge, MD'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 City of Cambridge, MD'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.