EWG rated big city (population over 250,000) water utilities based on three factors: the total number of chemicals detected since 2004; the percentage of chemicals found of those tested; and the highest average level for an individual pollutant, relative to legal limits or national average amounts, including for the most common pollutants (disinfection byproducts, nitrate and arsenic). [read more on rating methodology]
| RANK |
WATER UTILITY |
CHEMICALS FOUND |
TOP CONCERN *** |
NATIONAL POLLUTANTS |
| 1 | Arlington, TX (Arlington Water Utilities serves 290,000 people) | 7 * | | THMs: 6.7 ppb HAAs: 2.3 ppb nitrate: 0.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 2 | Providence, RI (Providence Water serves 295,700 people) | 4 * | | THMs: 22.5 ppb HAAs: 16.4 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 3 | Fort Worth, TX (Fort Worth Water Department serves 501,954 people) | 7 * | | THMs: 22.6 ppb HAAs: 11.9 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 4 | Charleston, SC (Charleston Water System serves 327,620 people) | 5 * | | THMs: 23.7 ppb HAAs: 21.3 ppb nitrate: 0.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 5 | Boston, MA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority serves 2,000,000 people) | 14 * | ** | THMs: 3.7 ppb HAAs: 3.7 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 6 | Honolulu, HI (Board of Water Supply (Honolulu/Windward/Pearl Harbor) serves 661,004 people) | 8 * | | THMs: 0.8 ppb HAAs:<0.1 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 7 | Austin, TX (Austin Water Utility serves 669,693 people) | 5 * | | THMs: 30.6 ppb HAAs: 14.8 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 8 | Fairfax County, VA (Fairfax Water serves 823,216 people) | 8 * | ** | THMs: 23.0 ppb HAAs: 16.0 ppb nitrate: 1.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 9 | St. Louis, MO (City of St. Louis Water Division serves 370,000 people) | 7 | ** | THMs: 15.4 ppb HAAs: 19.2 ppb nitrate: 2.7 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN (City of Minneapolis Water Department serves 382,618 people) | 6 * | ** | THMs: 29.6 ppb HAAs: 27.3 ppb nitrate: 0.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 11 | Richmond, VA (Henrico County Public Utilities serves 289,000 people) | 9 * | | THMs: 15.0 ppb HAAs: 21.5 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 12 | Dallas, TX (Dallas Water Utilities serves 1,188,580 people) | 9 * | | THMs: 32.1 ppb HAAs: 24.0 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 13 | New York, NY (New York City Department of Environmental Protection- Jamaica serves 518,000 people) | 4 * | | THMs: 30.8 ppb HAAs: 32.0 ppb nitrate: n/a arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 14 | Oklahoma City, OK (Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust serves 598,000 people) | 5 | | THMs: 40.0 ppb HAAs: 23.5 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 2.8 ppb |
| 15 | Buffalo, NY (Buffalo Water Authority serves 345,974 people) | 9 * | | THMs: 32.3 ppb HAAs: 18.9 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 16 | Cinncinnati, OH (Greater Cincinnati Water Works serves 775,000 people) | 8 * | | THMs: 33.0 ppb HAAs: 8.1 ppb nitrate: 1.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 17 | St. Paul, MN (Saint Paul Regional Water Services serves 414,735 people) | 11 * | | THMs: 31.1 ppb HAAs: 18.2 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 18 | Sacramento, CA (City of Sacramento Department of Utilities serves 407,018 people) | 14 * | ** | THMs: 1.4 ppb HAAs: 17.7 ppb nitrate: 1.3 ppm arsenic: 2.9 ppb |
| 19 | Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Water Works serves 647,290 people) | 14 * | | THMs: 5.4 ppb HAAs: 1.1 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 20 | Odessa, FL (St. Petersburg Water Resources Department serves 300,075 people) | 13 * | | THMs: 16.4 ppb HAAs: 14.0 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 21 | Bridgeport, CT (Aquarion Water Company serves 341,421 people) | 6 | ** | THMs: 40.0 ppb HAAs: 31.0 ppb nitrate: 1.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 22 | Louisville, KY (Louisville Water Company serves 836,926 people) | 12 | | THMs: 22.8 ppb HAAs: 13.9 ppb nitrate: 1.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 23 | Hartfort, CT (Metropolitan District Commission serves 388,700 people) | 9 | ** | THMs: 33.2 ppb HAAs: 23.5 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 24 | Springfield, MA (Springfield Water & Sewer Commission serves 250,000 people) | 4 * | | THMs: 50.8 ppb HAAs: 38.4 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 25 | Seattle, WA (Seattle Public Utilities serves 629,000 people) | 9 * | | THMs: 31.5 ppb HAAs: 25.2 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 26 | Greensboro, NC (City of Greensboro Department of Water Resources serves 250,000 people) | 5 * | | THMs: 42.6 ppb HAAs: 36.6 ppb nitrate: 0.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 27 | Newport News, VA (Newport News Water Works serves 406,000 people) | 10 * | | THMs: 24.6 ppb HAAs: 23.5 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 28 | Winston-Salem, NC (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission serves 286,028 people) | 10 * | | THMs: 29.4 ppb HAAs: 27.9 ppb nitrate: 1.9 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 29 | San Antonio, TX (San Antonio Water System serves 1,219,113 people) | 20 * | ** | THMs: 15.4 ppb HAAs: 11.6 ppb nitrate: 1.7 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 30 | Kent, OH (Akron Public Utilities Bureau serves 320,000 people) | 6 * | | THMs: 45.8 ppb HAAs: 34.2 ppb nitrate: 0.6 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 31 | Birmingham, AL (Birmingham Water Works & Sewer Board serves 585,000 people) | 10 * | | THMs: 30.5 ppb HAAs: 23.2 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 32 | Pittsburgh, PA (Pennsylvania American Water Company- Pittsburgh serves 660,000 people) | 4 | | THMs: 54.0 ppb HAAs: 13.1 ppb nitrate: 0.7 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 33 | San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission serves 800,000 people) | 14 * | | THMs: 8.6 ppb HAAs: 24.9 ppb nitrate: 4.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 34 | Chicago, IL (Chicago Department of Water Management serves 2,896,016 people) | 15 * | | THMs: 16.1 ppb HAAs: 8.2 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 35 | Toledo, OH (City of Toledo Division of Water serves 380,000 people) | 10 * | | THMs: 35.7 ppb HAAs: 11.9 ppb nitrate: 1.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 36 | Oakland, CA (East Bay Municipal Utility District serves 1,300,000 people) | 14 | ** | THMs: 28.0 ppb HAAs: 16.0 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.1 ppb |
| 37 | New Haven, CT (South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority serves 389,300 people) | 10 | ** | THMs: 37.0 ppb HAAs: 26.0 ppb nitrate: 1.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 38 | Manatee County, FL (Manatee County Utilities Department serves 253,263 people) | 17 * | | THMs: 22.8 ppb HAAs: 14.1 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 39 | Monroe County, NY (Monroe County Water Authority- Shoremont Water Treatment Plant serves 490,000 people) | 6 | | THMs: 53.8 ppb HAAs: 6.0 ppb nitrate: 0.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 40 | Long Beach, CA (Long Beach Water Department serves 452,905 people) | 15 * | ** | THMs: 2.6 ppb HAAs: 10.5 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 4.2 ppb |
| 41 | New York, NY (New York City Department of Environmental Protection- Catskill/Delaware serves 6,552,718 people) | 5 * | | THMs: 37.3 ppb HAAs: 42.6 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 42 | Layton, UT (Weber Basin Water Conservancy District serves 298,000 people) | 13 * | | THMs: 18.2 ppb HAAs: 15.6 ppb nitrate: 0.8 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 43 | Fort Wayne, IN (Fort Wayne City Utilities- Three Rivers Filtration Plant serves 250,000 people) | 16 * | | THMs: 22.8 ppb HAAs: 14.4 ppb nitrate: 1.9 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 44 | Corpus Christi, TX (City of Corpus Christi Water Department serves 270,000 people) | 13 * | | THMs: 38.0 ppb HAAs: 26.5 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 45 | Tacoma, WA (City of Tacoma Water Division serves 305,000 people) | 19 * | | THMs: 6.5 ppb HAAs: 20.6 ppb nitrate: 2.5 ppm arsenic: 0.6 ppb |
| 46 | Miami, FL (Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department serves 2,100,000 people) | 14 * | | THMs: 18.7 ppb HAAs: 22.4 ppb nitrate: 0.8 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 47 | Palm Beach County, CA (Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department serves 416,303 people) | 16 * | ** | THMs: 24.7 ppb HAAs: 17.8 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 48 | Bryn Mawr, PA (Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. (Aqua) serves 820,000 people) | 14 | | THMs: 31.7 ppb HAAs: 22.3 ppb nitrate: 3.8 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 49 | Erie County, NY (Erie County Water Authority serves 402,180 people) | 8 * | | THMs: 53.7 ppb HAAs: 21.7 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 50 | Plano, TX (City of Plano Utility Operations Department serves 291,144 people) | 6 * | | THMs: 58.3 ppb HAAs: 22.0 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 51 | Albuquerque, NM (Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority serves 453,000 people) | 9 * | ** | THMs: 6.2 ppb HAAs: 2.3 ppb nitrate: 0.4 ppm arsenic: 7.0 ppb |
| 52 | St. Louis County, MO (Missouri American Water- St. Louis County/ St. Charles County serves 1,049,600 people) | 14 * | ** | THMs: 12.0 ppb HAAs: 24.8 ppb nitrate: 0.9 ppm arsenic: 0.6 ppb |
| 53 | Phoenix, AZ (City of Phoenix Water Services Department serves 1,200,000 people) | 13 | | THMs: 38.5 ppb HAAs: 16.3 ppb nitrate: 1.7 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 54 | Stockton, CA (Stockton East Water District serves 250,000 people) | 15 * | | THMs: 27.1 ppb HAAs: 8.9 ppb nitrate: 0.6 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 55 | New York, NY (New York City Department of Environmental Protection- Croton serves 1,000,000 people) | 5 * | | THMs: 46.5 ppb HAAs: 47.9 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 56 | Mobile, AL (Mobile Area Water & Sewer System serves 274,995 people) | 13 * | | THMs: 72.2 ppb HAAs: 26.2 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 57 | Pinellas County, FL (Pinellas County Utilities serves 426,877 people) | 16 * | | THMs: 30.1 ppb HAAs: 16.1 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 58 | Los Angeles Suburbs, CA (Metropolitan Water District of Southern California serves 17,000,000 people) | 22 * | | THMs: 30.8 ppb HAAs: 14.0 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 2.3 ppb |
| 59 | Portland, OR (Portland Water Bureau serves 539,200 people) | 15 | | THMs: 20.2 ppb HAAs: 26.1 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 60 | Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Water Department serves 1,600,000 people) | 12 | | THMs: 44.6 ppb HAAs: 31.4 ppb nitrate: 2.7 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 61 | Santa Ana, CA (City of Santa Ana Public Works serves 293,700 people) | 20 | | THMs: 15.0 ppb HAAs: 4.2 ppb nitrate: 4.6 ppm arsenic: 1.1 ppb |
| 62 | Totowa Borough, NJ (Passaic Valley Water Commission serves 314,900 people) | 19 * | | THMs: 38.1 ppb HAAs: 26.5 ppb nitrate: 1.7 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 63 | Mahwah, NJ (United Water New Jersey serves 773,458 people) | 19 * | | THMs: 34.6 ppb HAAs: 26.9 ppb nitrate: 1.5 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 64 | Norfolk, VA (Norfolk Department of Utilities serves 755,617 people) | 11 * | | THMs: 49.5 ppb HAAs: 30.0 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 65 | Hillsborough County, FL (Hillsborough County Water Resource Services- South Hillsborough serves 303,000 people) | 18 * | | THMs: 27.7 ppb HAAs: 13.4 ppb nitrate: 0.6 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 66 | Tucson, AZ (Tucson Water serves 675,000 people) | 19 * | | THMs: 5.7 ppb HAAs: 0.2 ppb nitrate: 1.9 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 67 | Lexington, KY (Kentucky-American Water serves 354,473 people) | 12 | | THMs: 48.9 ppb HAAs: 26.8 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 68 | Tampa, FL (Tampa Water Department serves 550,000 people) | 19 * | | THMs: 26.4 ppb HAAs: 16.2 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 69 | Baltimore, MD (Baltimore City Department of Public Works serves 1,600,000 people) | 12 * | | THMs: 44.5 ppb HAAs: 42.1 ppb nitrate: 1.8 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 70 | Alameda County, CA (Alameda County Water District serves 271,000 people) | 27 * | | THMs: 14.2 ppb HAAs: 20.9 ppb nitrate: 1.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 71 | Tulsa, OK (City of Tulsa Water Supply System serves 471,000 people) | 13 * | | THMs: 48.4 ppb HAAs: 18.9 ppb nitrate: 0.5 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 72 | Cleveland OH (Cleveland Division of Water serves 1,500,000 people) | 19 * | | THMs: 22.5 ppb HAAs: 22.3 ppb nitrate: 0.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 73 | Pittsburgh City, PA (Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority serves 250,000 people) | 11 | | THMs: 57.5 ppb HAAs: 15.4 ppb nitrate: 1.2 ppm arsenic: 7.0 ppb |
| 74 | Raleigh, NC (City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department serves 409,542 people) | 19 * | | THMs: 42.2 ppb HAAs: 31.4 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 75 | Columbus, OH (City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities serves 897,213 people) | 8 * | | THMs: 32.5 ppb HAAs: 27.3 ppb nitrate: 1.6 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 76 | Mesa, AZ (City of Mesa Utilities Department serves 350,000 people) | 21 * | | THMs: 33.3 ppb HAAs: 13.7 ppb nitrate: 1.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 77 | Charlotte, NC (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities serves 761,830 people) | 20 * | | THMs: 43.1 ppb HAAs: 17.1 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 78 | Little Rock, AR (Central Arkansas Water serves 323,212 people) | 13 * | | THMs: 49.8 ppb HAAs: 29.7 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 79 | Anaheim, CA (Anaheim Public Utilities serves 345,556 people) | 28 * | | THMs: 3.2 ppb HAAs: 18.0 ppb nitrate: 3.1 ppm arsenic: 1.7 ppb |
| 80 | Salt Lake City, UT (Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities serves 312,000 people) | 24 * | | THMs: 12.2 ppb HAAs: 26.7 ppb nitrate: 1.5 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 81 | Orlando, FL (Orlando Utilities Commission serves 414,500 people) | 17 | | THMs: 50.4 ppb HAAs: 20.1 ppb nitrate: 0.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 82 | Montgomery & Prince George's Counties, MD (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission serves 1,800,000 people) | 22 * | | THMs: 31.8 ppb HAAs: 34.6 ppb nitrate: 1.5 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 83 | Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power serves 3,828,700 people) | 25 * | ** | THMs: 34.4 ppb HAAs: 29.0 ppb nitrate: 1.5 ppm arsenic: 2.6 ppb |
| 84 | San Jose, CA (San Jose Water Company serves 979,000 people) | 30 * | | THMs: 1.8 ppb HAAs: 10.0 ppb nitrate: 4.7 ppm arsenic: 0.4 ppb |
| 85 | Haworth Boro, NJ (United Water- New Jersey serves 253,045 people) | 32 * | | THMs: 13.3 ppb HAAs: 3.4 ppb nitrate: 0.6 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 86 | Cocoa, FL (City of Cocoa- Claude H. Dyal Water Treatment Plant serves 260,887 people) | 19 | | THMs: 49.8 ppb HAAs: 25.4 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 87 | West Milford (City of Newark Department of Water serves 273,000 people) | 18 * | | THMs: 48.4 ppb HAAs: 51.4 ppb nitrate: 0.3 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 88 | Chino Hills, CA (Chino Hills Water & Sewer serves 520,000 people) | 18 * | | THMs: 0.4 ppb HAAs: 7.9 ppb nitrate: 8.4 ppm arsenic: 7.5 ppb |
| 89 | Fresno, CA (City of Fresno Water Division serves 390,350 people) | 30 * | | THMs: 0.1 ppb HAAs: 1.7 ppb nitrate: 5.0 ppm arsenic: 2.6 ppb |
| 90 | Indianapolis, IN (Indianapolis Water serves 805,431 people) | 23 * | | THMs: 33.6 ppb HAAs: 36.6 ppb nitrate: 1.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 91 | Jacksonville, FL (JEA serves 800,000 people) | 23 | | THMs: 48.0 ppb HAAs: 13.3 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 92 | San Diego, CA (San Diego Water Department serves 1,281,400 people) | 24 * | | THMs: 41.0 ppb HAAs: 17.8 ppb nitrate: 0.5 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 93 | North Las Vegas, NV (City of North Las Vegas Utilities Department serves 282,600 people) | 29 | ** | THMs: 50.0 ppb HAAs: 18.0 ppb nitrate: 0.8 ppm arsenic: 2.1 ppb |
| 94 | Omaha, NE (Metropolitan Utilities District serves 506,420 people) | 32 * | ** | THMs: 16.6 ppb HAAs: 17.0 ppb nitrate: 1.4 ppm arsenic: 5.6 ppb |
| 95 | Houston, TX (City of Houston Public Works serves 2,700,000 people) | 37 * | | THMs: 20.1 ppb HAAs: 22.2 ppb nitrate: 0.2 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 96 | Reno, NV (Truckee Meadows Water Authority serves 315,200 people) | 23 | ** | THMs: 39.6 ppb HAAs: 20.4 ppb nitrate: 0.1 ppm arsenic: 6.8 ppb |
| 97 | Riverside County, CA (Eastern Municipal Water District serves 480,000 people) | 32 * | | THMs: 8.8 ppb HAAs: 14.5 ppb nitrate: 3.5 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 98 | Las Vegas, NV (Las Vegas Valley Water District serves 1,181,263 people) | 33 | ** | THMs: 62.0 ppb HAAs: 27.0 ppb nitrate: 0.9 ppm arsenic: 2.1 ppb |
| 99 | Riverside, CA (City of Riverside Public Utilities serves 280,832 people) | 36 * | | THMs: 0.9 ppb HAAs: 0.9 ppb nitrate: 6.0 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
| 100 | Pensacola, FL (Emerald Coast Water Utility serves 307,076 people) | 39 * | | THMs: 0.2 ppb HAAs: 0.6 ppb nitrate: 1.4 ppm arsenic: 0.0 ppb |
The following large utilities had insufficient data available and could not be included in the rankings:
* The count of chemicals found treats THMs and HAAs as one chemical each, to account for differences in the various state databases that underlie this analysis. This count may differ from that shown on a utility's water quality report within this website, where individual THM and HAA chemicals are included in the total.
** Recent data was not provided by the state. Value shown is taken from the water utility's 2008 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
***"Top concern" lists the chemical with the highest average level relative to the legal limit for regulated compounds, or to the national average concentration for unregulated compounds (among those utilities detecting the chemical).