# Kent, WA — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

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

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/wa/kent/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/wa/kent/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: 26
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 19
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 2.18 (Maximum) | System-wide | 4 (MRDLG) | Within the limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 6.4 (Maximum) | System-wide | 60 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 1.6–32.2 (Range) | System-wide | 80 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.89 (Maximum) | System-wide | 4 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 1.16 (Maximum) | System-wide | 10 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 0–0.0018 (Range) | System-wide | 0.01 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.0022–0.0039 (Range) | System-wide | 2 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Calcium | Metals | 15–26 (Range) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Chromium, Total | Metals | 0–0.0063 (Range) | System-wide | 0.1 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.169 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Iron | Metals | 0.028 (Maximum) | System-wide | 0.3 (Secondary MCL) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 0.002 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 0.015 mg/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Magnesium | Metals | 15 (Maximum) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Manganese | Metals | 0.51 (Maximum) | System-wide | 0.05 (Secondary MCL) | At or above the limit |
| Nickel | Metals | 0.0003 (Maximum) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 21 (Maximum) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Zinc | Metals | 0.0018 (Maximum) | System-wide | 5 (Secondary MCL) | Within the limit |
| Total Coliform | Microbial | 0 (Maximum) | System-wide | 0 (MCLG) | None detected |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 3.37 ng/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 2 ng/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| PFOS | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 2.28 (Maximum) | System-wide | 4 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 136 (Maximum) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 0–5 (Range) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Total Dissolved Solids | Physical & aggregate | 25.2 (Maximum) | System-wide | 500 (Secondary MCL) | Within the limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 1.99 (Maximum) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | Not detected (Maximum) | System-wide | 5 (MCL) | None detected |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | Not detected (Maximum) | System-wide | 15 (MCL) | None detected |

## 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.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Arsenic** — A naturally occurring element that also enters water from industry and agriculture. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure is linked to skin, bladder, and lung cancer.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Calcium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **Chromium, Total** — Total chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause allergic dermatitis; includes hexavalent chromium.
- **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.
- **Iron** — A naturally occurring metal common in groundwater. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; causes rusty color, staining, and metallic taste.
- **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.
- **Magnesium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **Manganese** — A naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. No enforceable federal limit; high levels stain fixtures and laundry and can affect taste, with a health advisory for infants.
- **Nickel** — A metal from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure can cause skin and other effects; monitored under EPA rules.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **Gross Alpha** — Gross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases cancer risk.

## 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._