# Suffolk, VA — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

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

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/va/suffolk/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/va/suffolk/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: 25
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 20
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 2
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloramine | Disinfectants | 0.03–4.7 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 39 ug/L (Running annual avg) | Quarterly Locational Running Annual Average | 60 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 67 ug/L (Running annual avg) | Quarterly Locational Running Annual Average | 80 ug/L (MCL) | Approaching the limit |
| Chloride | Inorganic chemicals | 12.3 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 250 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.79–1.71 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Sulfate | Inorganic chemicals | 11 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 250 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.01 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.188–0.39 mg/L (Reported level) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | Not detected ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 15 ug/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Lithium | Metals | Not detected ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | None detected |
| Sodium | Metals | 50–78 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Zinc | Metals | 0.37 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 5 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Microbial | 0 (Reported level) | Number of Positive Samples | 1 (MCL) | None detected |
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 10 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 3 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 10 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| Perfluorononanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 10 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| PFOA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 4 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| PFOS | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 4 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 14.9 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| pH | Physical & aggregate | 7.57 (Reported level) | System-wide | 6.5 (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1.08 (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Total Dissolved Solids | Physical & aggregate | 120 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 500 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.359 NTU (Maximum) | Level NTUs | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | 1.67–0.73 pCi/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 5 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chloramine** — A longer-lasting disinfectant made by combining chlorine with ammonia. Holds disinfection further into the pipe network, but is regulated under the same residual-disinfectant cap as chlorine.
- **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.
- **Chloride** — A naturally occurring salt compound. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels cause a salty taste and can corrode pipes.
- **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.
- **Sulfate** — A naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. No health-based federal limit; high levels can have a laxative effect and a bitter taste.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **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.
- **Sodium** — A naturally occurring salt component. Not federally regulated for health; relevant for people on sodium-restricted diets.
- **Zinc** — A naturally occurring metal that can also enter water from corroding pipes. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels cause a metallic taste.
- **Escherichia coli (E. coli)** — Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. Its presence in drinking water indicates fecal contamination and a real risk of waterborne illness.
- **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.
- **Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid** — Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Has no standalone limit but is part of the EPA PFAS Hazard Index that limits PFAS in combination.
- **Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid** — Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Regulated by the EPA at 10 parts per trillion and included in the PFAS Hazard Index.
- **Perfluorononanoic acid** — Perfluorononanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Regulated by the EPA at 10 parts per trillion and included in the PFAS Hazard Index.
- **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.
- **Hardness** — A measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling, soap use, and taste.
- **pH** — A measure of how acidic or basic the water is. Regulated only as a secondary standard; very low or high pH can corrode pipes or affect taste.
- **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.
- **Total Dissolved Solids** — Total dissolved solids — the combined content of all dissolved minerals and salts. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels affect taste and hardness.
- **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.

## 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._