National Drinking Water Database
Indiana
778 systems serving 4,630,253 people
This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in Indiana, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.
Chemicals |
Water Utilities |
Population Served |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Detected Chemicals | 81 |
778 |
4,545,413 |
Exceed health guidelines* | 45 |
728 |
4,526,456 |
Exceed Legal Limits* | 21 |
117 |
1,557,582 |
Unregulated chemicals detected | 11 |
58 |
1,267,483 |
| * Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance. | |||
45 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits
Contaminants detected in Indiana drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities
| Contaminant | Population |
Number of Systems |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Any Level | Above Health Limits | At Any Level | Above Health Limits | |
| Total haloacetic acids (HAAs) | 4,441,557 | 4,441,557 | 539 | 539 |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 4,484,201 | 4,216,921 | 570 | 433 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 3,181,027 | 3,181,027 | 223 | 223 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 3,063,262 | 2,995,826 | 199 | 192 |
| Arsenic (total) | 2,694,300 | 2,694,300 | 332 | 332 |
| Chloroform | 3,147,311 | 2,046,475 | 236 | 88 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | 1,665,854 | 1,665,854 | 99 | 99 |
| Bromoform | 1,574,127 | 1,574,127 | 74 | 74 |
| Atrazine | 1,573,002 | 1,573,002 | 28 | 28 |
| Benzo[a]pyrene | 1,080,435 | 1,080,435 | 4 | 4 |
Water Utilities in Indiana Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines
Water utilities in Indiana reporting chemicals exceeding health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities, include:
| System | Population |
Chemicals tested |
Chemicals found |
Chemicals exceeding health guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatatuck Urban Training Center | 114 | 90 | 28 | 17 |
| South Bend Water Works | 113,400 | 87 | 25 | 12 |
| Indianapolis Water | 805,431 | 89 | 25 | 11 |
| Anderson Water Department | 58,400 | 85 | 22 | 11 |
| Salem Water Works | 6,719 | 86 | 18 | 10 |
| Westfield Public Works | 18,152 | 88 | 19 | 10 |
| Fort Wayne City Utilities- Three Rivers Filtration Plant | 250,000 | 88 | 19 | 10 |
| Hillsdale Water Corporation | 600 | 87 | 14 | 9 |
| Scottsburg Water Department | 6,800 | 85 | 13 | 9 |
| Versailles Water Works | 1,784 | 86 | 13 | 9 |
| Osgood Water Department | 1,688 | 86 | 14 | 9 |
| Batesville Water Utility | 5,856 | 86 | 16 | 9 |
| Mount Vernon Water Works | 8,912 | 86 | 18 | 9 |
| Valparaiso Department of Water Works | 33,300 | 87 | 10 | 9 |
| Salt Creek Services, Inc. | 90 | 85 | 15 | 9 |
| Culver Educational Foundation | 850 | 90 | 12 | 9 |
| Speedway Water Works | 11,070 | 86 | 17 | 9 |
| Mitchell Water Department | 4,800 | 84 | 14 | 9 |
| North Vernon Water Department | 6,500 | 85 | 15 | 9 |
| Rensselaer Water Department | 6,263 | 83 | 16 | 9 |
Sources of Indiana Drinking Water Contaminants
The contaminants identified in Indiana drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.
Testing Summary for Indiana
The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.
| Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Indiana | 113 | |
| Contaminants tested due to federal law: | 79 | |
| Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: | 34 | |
Violation Summary for Indiana
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in Indiana since 2004
| Violation Type | Number of Violations |
|---|---|
| Failure to monitor regularly | 2,883 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) | 494 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Average | 252 |
| Inadequate reporting of information to the public | 230 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria) | 225 |
| Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule | 203 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 76 |
| Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report | 72 |
| Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling | 50 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria) | 25 |
| Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper | 19 |
| Excess Turbidity at 0.3 NTU | 17 |
| Treatment Technique Precursor Removal | 15 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample | 14 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria) | 9 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 8 |
| Filter Turbidity Reporting | 7 |
| Excess Turbidity at 1 NTU | 4 |
| Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 4 |
| Initial Water Quality Parameter Monitoring and Reporting | 1 |
| Initial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water Treatment Monitoring and Reporting | 1 |
| Public Education | 1 |
| Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations | 1 |