Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Tacoma, WA tap water
13 contaminants were measured in the Tacoma, WA water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 13
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- WA
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
2 PFAS compounds detected in Tacoma, WA
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.
PFHxS (Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid)
● Below limitbelow national p90 (12.049999999999997 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBS
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (13.909999999999979 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Tacoma, WA's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 34 sources.
Source
- U.P. NO. 1 ABM926
- GPL NO. 1 ACN710
- GPL NO. 2 ACN709
- 1-B
- + 30 more
Treatment
- Green River WTP
- South Tacoma Pump Station
- Hood Street Reservoir
- + 5 more
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
20 historically-detected contaminants in Tacoma, WA
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: 2014 | 3.2 mrem/yr 80% | 4 mrem/yr | '14 |
TTHM worst: 2012 | 0.0594 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
HAA5 worst: 2014 | 0.043 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
ARSENIC worst: 2012 | 0.007 mg/L within near national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '12'13'15'18 |
NITRATE worst: 2019 | 4.95 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2014 | 4.83 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18 |
MERCURY worst: 2015 | 0.0007 mg/L within | 0.002 mg/L | '15 |
TCE worst: 2014 | 0.0017 mg/L within | 0.005 mg/L | '13'14'15 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2015 | 0.88 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BARIUM worst: 2012 | 0.07 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'13'18 |
CHROMIUM worst: 2012 | 0.002 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.1 mg/L | '12'13'18 |
COPPER worst: 2012 | 0.133 mg/L below national p90 | — | '12'13'15'17'18 |
LEAD worst: 2012 | 0.003 mg/L | — | '12'15 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0162 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
MCAA worst: 2017 | 0.002 mg/L | — | '17'18 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0201 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.0038 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2013 | 0.00073 mg/L | — | '13'15'16 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.055 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.00073 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'19 |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.3–1.46RangeOf Level Detected | 4MCL | Within the limit |
VOCs & pesticides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrichloroethyleneAn industrial solvent (TCE) used in metal degreasing. | 1.4MaximumSystem-wide | 5MCL | Within the limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.015–0.034RangeOf Level Detected | 1MCL | Within the limit |
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BromateA disinfection byproduct formed when bromide-containing water is treated with ozone. | 0RangeOf Level Detected | 10MCL | None detected |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 0.04Running annual avgOur | 0MCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Tacoma, WA's water
+Is Tacoma, WA tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 13 contaminants measured in Tacoma, WA'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 Tacoma, WA tap water?
13 contaminants were measured in Tacoma, WA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning disinfection byproducts, metals, and inorganic chemicals. 12 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 Tacoma, WA'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 Tacoma, WA'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.