States › District of Columbia

District of Columbia Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 1 cities across District of Columbia — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 1 Cities covered: 1 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

District of Columbia earns an A for overall water quality

1 communities across 1 counties and 1 water systems. 100.0% 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 100.0% of communities; 0 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 100.0% of communities
100.0% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
1
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2 ppb
13% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
100%
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 District of Columbia

✓ Cleanest Water
Washington
District of Columbia
2.0 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Washington
District of Columbia
2.0 ppb A

Water Quality by County

1 of 1
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CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
District of Columbia 1 2.0 ppb 0 A

About District of Columbia Drinking Water

District of Columbia is served by 1 community water systems covering 1 communities across 1 counties. 100.0% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 1 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 100.0% 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 District of Columbia tap water safe to drink? ▼
100.0% of communities have no open violation on record. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
Does District of Columbia have a lead problem? ▼
1 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 District of Columbia? ▼
Lead results are reported for 100.0% of communities and PFAS for 100.0%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does District of Columbia 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.