States › Alabama

Alabama Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 492 cities across Alabama — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 367 Cities covered: 492 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Alabama earns an A for overall water quality

492 communities across 67 counties and 367 water systems. 98.0% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 1.50 ppb
40.2% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 66.9% of communities; 64 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 100.0% of communities
98.0% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
367
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
1.5 ppb
10% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
98%
of systems — no active violations
How we grade states Grades are based on actual EPA enforcement data — MCL violations and lead levels measured against the 15 ppb federal action level. We do not use MCLG-based detections, which are aspirational zero-tolerance goals that would make nearly every state look dangerous. Read our full methodology →

Best & Worst Cities in Alabama

✓ Cleanest Water
Valley Head
DeKalb County
1.0 ppb B
Gordonville
Lowndes County
0.0 ppb B
Cardiff
Jefferson County
0.0 ppb B
Montgomery
Montgomery County
0.0 ppb A
Birmingham
Jefferson County
1.8 ppb A
Hoover
Jefferson County
1.8 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Montevallo
Shelby County
1.5 ppb F
Stevenson
Jackson County
1.2 ppb D
Grove Hill
Clarke County
3.4 ppb D
Holtville
Elmore County
0.2 ppb D
Thomasville
Clarke County
0.0 ppb D
Vredenburgh
Monroe County
0.0 ppb D

Water Quality by County

67 of 67
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Jefferson County 42 1.8 ppb 0 A
Shelby County 22 1.8 ppb 0 B
Mobile County 18 1.5 ppb 0 A
Etowah County 18 1.3 ppb 0 B
DeKalb County 15 1.3 ppb 0 B
Baldwin County 14 2.4 ppb 0 B
Blount County 13 1.2 ppb 0 A
Cullman County 12 0.9 ppb 0 A
Calhoun County 11 1.1 ppb 0 A
Elmore County 11 0.4 ppb 0 B

About Alabama Drinking Water

Alabama is served by 367 community water systems covering 492 communities across 67 counties. 98.0% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 294 communities, with a median of 1.50 ppb — 10% of the federal action level. A further 198 reported none detected. That share is a state reporting convention rather than a measure of water quality, so it is stated separately rather than averaged in.

PFAS has been tested at 66.9% of communities here, and 64 are above the limits EPA set in 2024. Coverage matters: states that test more find more, so this figure is not comparable with a state that has tested less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Alabama tap water safe to drink? ▼
98.0% of communities have no open violation on record. 64 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Alabama have a lead problem? ▼
4 water systems report a 90th-percentile lead result at or above the 15 ppb action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and 198 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Alabama? ▼
Lead results are reported for 100.0% of communities and PFAS for 66.9%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Alabama compare with other states? ▼
We do not rank states against each other. Lead reporting completeness ranges from under 20% to 100% depending on the state, so a national ranking would compare filing practice rather than water quality.