Drinking water quality · 2025
· Verified
What's in Elder Mountain, TN tap water
24 contaminants were measured in the Elder Mountain, TN water system's 2025 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit — 2 sit at or above that limit.
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Contaminants measured
- 24
- Over federal limit
- 2
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Worst contaminant
- Aluminum
- Service area
- TN
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound detected in Elder Mountain, TN
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.
6:2 FTS
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (0.03898000000000001 µg/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Elder Mountain, TN's drinking water comes from ground water under the influence of surface water, drawn from 5 sources.
Source
- SILVER LAKE SURF
- LOWE SPRING
- RAMBO SPRING
- SILVERLAKE SP
- + 1 more
Treatment
- LOWE SPRING
- RAMBO SPRING
- SILVER LAKE PLT
- + 5 more
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
4 historically-detected contaminants in Elder Mountain, TN
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
HAA5 worst: 2018 | 0.0097 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TTHM worst: 2018 | 0.012 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE worst: 2018 | 1.15 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '14'15'16'17'18'19 |
GROSS ALPHA worst: 2016 | 1.4 pCi/L within | 15 pCi/L | '16 |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AluminumA common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. | 6 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | 0.2 mg/LMCL | At or above the limit |
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 0.071 mg/L90th percentileAt the tap | 1.3 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| ZincA naturally occurring metal that can also enter water from corroding pipes. | 0.2 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | 5 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| IronA naturally occurring metal common in groundwater. | Not detected mg/LRangeRange Detected | 0.3 mg/LMCL | None detected |
| ManganeseA naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. | Not detected mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | 0.05 mg/LMCL | None detected |
| CalciumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 21 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | Not detected ug/L90th percentileAt the tap | 0 ug/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
| MagnesiumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 5 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 7.8 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pHA measure of how acidic or basic the water is. | 7.3AverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | 6.5MCL | At or above the limit |
| Total Dissolved SolidsTotal dissolved solids — the combined content of all dissolved minerals and salts. | 85 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | 500 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| HardnessA measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. | 76 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 32.9 %RangeSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.36 NTUMaximumSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 1.69 mg/LRunning annual avgSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMRDLG | Within the limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FluorideA mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. | 0.69 mg/LRunning annual avgSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| ChlorideA naturally occurring salt compound. | 11.7 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | 250 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| SulfateA naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. | 7.6 mg/LAverageCitico Water Treatment Plant | 250 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acidPerfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 6.8 ng/LAverageCitico Treatment Plant Eff | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFBAPerfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 6.4 ng/LAverageCitico Treatment Plant Eff | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | 1.08 pCi/LRangeSystem-wide | 0 pCi/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Elder Mountain, TN's water
+Is Elder Mountain, TN tap water safe to drink in 2025?
The 2025 Consumer Confidence Report for the Elder Mountain, TN water utility lists 2 contaminants at or above the federal limit: Aluminum and pH. Whether that means the water is "unsafe" depends on which contaminant, how long the exposure, and individual health factors. The table on this page shows the measured value, the federal threshold, and the regulated statistic used for compliance.
+What contaminants are in Elder Mountain, TN tap water?
24 contaminants were measured in Elder Mountain, TN's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, physical & aggregate, and inorganic chemicals. 16 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Which contaminants exceed federal limits in Elder Mountain, TN tap water?
2 contaminants in Elder Mountain, TN's 2025 report sit at or above the federal limit: Aluminum (30.0× the limit); pH (1.1× the limit). The EPA enforces these limits against the regulated reporting statistic — typically a running annual average or 90th percentile — not a one-off sample spike.
+What is the worst contaminant in Elder Mountain, TN tap water?
The contaminant with the highest measured value relative to its federal limit in the 2025 report is Aluminum, at 30.0× the federal threshold. It belongs to the metals family of contaminants.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Elder Mountain, TN's 2025 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 Elder Mountain, TN'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 2025 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.