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Arkansas Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 610 cities across Arkansas — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 468 Cities covered: 610 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Arkansas earns an A for overall water quality

610 communities across 75 counties and 468 water systems. 95.6% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 2.00 ppb
0.0% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 35.6% of communities; 0 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 96.6% of communities
95.6% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
468
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2 ppb
13% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
95.6%
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 Arkansas

✓ Cleanest Water
Beaver
Carroll County
1.0 ppb A
Little Rock
Pulaski County
1.0 ppb A
Fayetteville
Washington County
1.0 ppb A
Springdale
Washington County
1.0 ppb A
Rogers
Benton County
1.0 ppb A
Jonesboro
Craighead County
1.0 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Bassett
Mississippi County
18.0 ppb F
Pangburn
White County
31.0 ppb D
Helena-West Helena
Phillips County
2.0 ppb D
De Valls Bluff
Prairie County
4.0 ppb D
Leola
Grant County
100.0 ppb D
Ash Flat
Sharp County
5.0 ppb D

Water Quality by County

75 of 75
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Benton County 22 1.0 ppb 0 A
Washington County 18 1.0 ppb 0 A
White County 18 9.0 ppb 0 A
Mississippi County 17 3.0 ppb 0 B
Pulaski County 17 1.0 ppb 0 A
Lawrence County 13 2.0 ppb 0 A
Independence County 13 1.0 ppb 0 A
Crittenden County 13 2.0 ppb 0 B
Clay County 12 1.5 ppb 0 A
Boone County 12 3.0 ppb 0 A

About Arkansas Drinking Water

Arkansas is served by 468 community water systems covering 610 communities across 75 counties. 95.6% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 589 communities, with a median of 2.00 ppb — 13% of the federal action level. A further 0 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 35.6% of communities here, and 0 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 Arkansas tap water safe to drink? ▼
95.6% of communities have no open violation on record. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
Does Arkansas have a lead problem? ▼
39 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 0 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Arkansas? ▼
Lead results are reported for 96.6% of communities and PFAS for 35.6%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Arkansas 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.