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Georgia Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 617 cities across Georgia — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 486 Cities covered: 617 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Georgia earns an A for overall water quality

617 communities across 159 counties and 486 water systems. 99.8% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 2.20 ppb
27.2% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 48.3% of communities; 42 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 99.4% of communities
99.8% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
486
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2.2 ppb
15% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
99.8%
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 Georgia

✓ Cleanest Water
Higgston
Montgomery County
0.0 ppb B
Clayton
Rabun County
1.7 ppb A
Taylorsville
Bartow County
1.4 ppb A
Macon-Bibb County
Bibb County
1.4 ppb B
Savannah
Chatham County
3.9 ppb A
Johns Creek
Fulton County
1.6 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Manchester
Meriwether County
0.0 ppb D
Avera
Jefferson County
16.0 ppb C
Box Springs
Talbot County
0.9 ppb C
Crawford
Oglethorpe County
5.5 ppb C
Columbus
Muscogee County
1.4 ppb C
Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance)
Richmond County
1.4 ppb C

Water Quality by County

159 of 159
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
DeKalb County 21 5.5 ppb 0 A
Chatham County 17 3.4 ppb 0 A
Fulton County 15 1.4 ppb 0 A
Gwinnett County 13 No data 0 A
Cobb County 10 2.6 ppb 0 A
Clayton County 9 No data 0 B
Jackson County 8 1.8 ppb 0 A
Liberty County 8 1.7 ppb 0 A
Coweta County 8 3.9 ppb 0 A
Carroll County 8 6.3 ppb 0 B

About Georgia Drinking Water

Georgia is served by 486 community water systems covering 617 communities across 159 counties. 99.8% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 446 communities, with a median of 2.20 ppb — 15% of the federal action level. A further 167 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 48.3% of communities here, and 42 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 Georgia tap water safe to drink? ▼
99.8% of communities have no open violation on record. 42 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Georgia have a lead problem? ▼
13 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 167 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Georgia? ▼
Lead results are reported for 99.4% of communities and PFAS for 48.3%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Georgia 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.